Bartz v. Anthropic Copyright Case: A Landmark Settlement for Textbook & Academic Authors. What’s next.

As the only association devoted solely to supporting and advocating for the interests of textbook and academic authors, TAA represents not only its nearly 3,600 author-members, but thousands more. In the historic ruling for U.S. copyright holders in the case of Bartz v. Anthropic, in which the court awarded $1.5 billion to authors and publishers whose books were pirated by Anthropic to train its large language models (LLMs), educational/textbook and university press/academic authors represent almost half of the close to 500,000 works infringed in the class.

At a September 25, 2025 hearing, attended by TAA Executive Director Kim Pawlak, TAA Board Treasurer and mathematics textbook author Michael Sullivan, and TAA Board Member and Intellectual Property Attorney Brenda Ulrich, the court granted preliminary approval of the settlement agreement proposed by the plaintiffs, which outlined the claims process for authors and publishers.

2025 TAA Virtual Conference: A Resounding Success

We’re thrilled to share that the 2025 TAA Conference on Textbook & Academic Authoring was a tremendous success — and it’s all thanks to our incredible attendees, speakers, sponsors, and staff who made this event truly special.

Held virtually June 9-10, this year’s conference brought together textbook and academic authors from across the country for two days of learning, connection, and inspiration. With 147 participants and a lineup of close to two dozen expert-led sessions, the event offered something valuable for every stage of the author journey — from first-time writers to seasoned scholars.

What Authors Need to Know About Cengage Class Action Lawsuit Settlement

On November 24, 2024, the federal district court in New York granted preliminary approval to a $20,990,000 settlement of claims of royalty underpayment by Cengage Learning, Inc., in a long-running lawsuit brought on behalf of Cengage textbook authors by the class action law firm Susman Godfrey. There is a January 22, 2025 deadline for any authors wish to opt out of the class or to object to the settlement.

Cengage authors have asked us various questions about the settlement. Zick Rubin, attorney at the  Archstone Law Group and long-time TAA member (zrubin@archstonelaw.com), has provided some answers.

TAA Member Phil Wankat’s Curation and Commentary of ‘The Academic Author’ Archives – Installment 3

The third installment of TAA Member Phil Wankat’s curation and commentary of the archival issues (1994 to 2010) of the The Academic Author, Contracts and Legal Comments, is now available. Articles include “Judges Frown Gravely on Plagiarists,” “Authors bristle at 10 percent electronic royalties.” “Protecting your rights to original art.,” and more.

Share Your Book Contracts, Royalty Statements for Complimentary Review

TAA member Joseph Rust, CPA, CFP, an accountant with Prager Metis CPAs, is seeking authors interested in sharing their book contracts and royalty statements for a complimentary review. Rust would also like to know what authors’ concerns and questions are when it comes to their contracts and royalties statements. He plans to take the information he learns to provide resources, including a glossary of royalty statement terms, to TAA members in the coming months.

Please reach out to him directly at jrust@pragermetis.com. His full contact information can also be found in TAA’s Professional Directory.

2025 TAA Virtual Conference on Textbook & Academic Authoring Call for Proposals Now Open

The TAA Conference Committee invites proposals for its 2025 Textbook & Academic Authoring Conference, which will be held online June 6-7. Presenting at TAA’s 2025 Conference provides an opportunity to share your knowledge, experiences, and ideas with other textbook authors, academic authors, and industry professionals. The theme is “The Future is Now.” We welcome proposals from first-time and veteran presenters! The deadline for submitting a proposal is October 13, 2024.