Editing Bartz v Anthropic PBC (section)

== Objections to the Settlement ==

Multiple objections were filed by the February 9, 2026 deadline, with several unsealed in April 2026 (Dkt. Nos. 544, 596, 598, 600, 601, 602, and subsequently Dkt. 630, 640, 641). Key objections include:<ref name="authorsalliance-objections">[https://www.authorsalliance.org/2026/04/14/bartz-v-anthropic-settlement-update-new-date-and-time-for-the-fairness-hearing-you-can-join-online-and-unsealed-objections/ Authors Alliance, "Bartz v. Anthropic Settlement Update: New Date and Time for the Fairness Hearing," April 14, 2026]</ref><ref name="writerbeware">[https://writerbeware.blog/2026/04/10/anthropic-copyright-settlement-april-update/ Writer Beware, "Anthropic Copyright Settlement: April Update," April 10, 2026]</ref>

* '''Professor Bishop''' (Dkt. 630): Argues the settlement systematically favors publishers over authors — publishers could claim roughly 50% or more of the total settlement amount through royalty presumptions, despite the suit being author-driven. Also challenges the exclusion of over 2 million foreign and non-U.S.-registered works, which Bishop argues improperly narrows the class.<ref name="authorsalliance-objections" />
* '''Esquivel''': Reports receiving inadequate notice, not learning of the settlement until approximately March 3, 2026 — nearly a month after the February 9 opt-out deadline had expired.<ref name="authorsalliance-objections" />
* '''Group registration undercounting''' (Dkt. 641): Objectors argue that multiple books registered under a single copyright registration are treated as one "claimable work," dramatically undercompensating prolific authors (e.g., 40+ books counted as a single work).<ref name="authorsalliance-objections" />
* '''Dangerous precedent''' (Dkt. 640): Argues the settlement allows AI companies to "buy their way out" of mass piracy at a discounted rate — cheaper than licensing — setting a harmful precedent for future AI copyright disputes.<ref name="authorsalliance-objections" />
* '''Class counsel conflicts''': References Judge Alsup's December 2025 concerns about undisclosed fee-sharing arrangements between class counsel.<ref name="writerbeware" />
* '''Low per-work awards''': Base awards of approximately $3,000 per work before deductions for attorneys' fees and costs, with a tiered system that pays more for "important" (nonfiction) books over fiction.<ref name="writerbeware" />

The May 14 fairness hearing preceded final approval on July 20; settlement distributions remain subject to any appeals.<ref name="unite-final-2026" />