Andrea Bartz at the Forefront of Major Copyright Settlement with Anthropic
Author Andrea Bartz has played a significant role in achieving a historic $1.5 billion settlement against AI company Anthropic, which was accused of illegally using her work to train chatbots.
According to reports, Bartz, alongside authors Charles Graeber and Kirk Wallace Johnson, is part of a class action lawsuit representing approximately 500,000 authors whose copyrights were allegedly violated when Anthropic utilized their works without consent. Damages in this case were previously suggested to potentially reach up to $1 trillion.
The 2024 lawsuit brought forth by Bartz, Graeber, and Johnson centers on claims that Anthropic pirated their books, as well as millions of other copyrighted materials, to develop their AI systems. While a California district court judge had ruled earlier that some of Anthropic’s use fell under “fair use,” the judge simultaneously found that the company’s acquisition of certain copyrighted materials from “shadow libraries” constituted infringement.
Under U.S. copyright law, the minimum statutory damages for this type of infringement start at $750 per work. Anthropic’s AI training library was estimated to contain around 7 million pirated books, putting the company at risk for fines exceeding $1 trillion—an amount that could threaten its viability.
Bartz first learned of the situation in summer 2023 when she found that her novel was included in a collection of pirated texts used by AI firms. Feeling “incredibly violated and upset,” she decided to partner with Graeber and Johnson, placing themselves at the heart of a contentious legal struggle.
As lead plaintiffs, Bartz, Graeber, and Johnson faced a challenging discovery process, extensive depositions, and the weight of representing many authors and publishers. Yet, they formed a strong connection, acting as each other’s support system through the challenging experience.
As part of the settlement, Anthropic has agreed to pay $3,000 for each infringed work, with authors and publishers splitting that amount based on their agreements. The named plaintiffs may receive a significant reward of up to $50,000 for their contributions, pending judicial approval.
While some view this outcome as less than favorable, others—like Writers Guild executive Mary Razenberger—assert that the substantial settlement sends a clear signal to AI companies about the repercussions of using pirated materials.
For Bartz, her deep engagement in the case has delayed her personal writing projects. However, she remains steadfast in her belief that this battle is essential for the future of the publishing industry and for ensuring that authors can sustain their creative endeavors.
