Part #2: Filing a Simple Claim

Please note that all answers are based on the settlement documents up to the week of October 27-31, 2025.

SFWA’s Advocacy Team, which includes Board, Legal Affairs, and Contracts personnel, is following closely new data as it emerges in the Anthropic/AI settlement: a legal matter that affects tens of thousands of authors in our industry, among many others. We have assembled here a second set of FAQs that target individuals looking to file a claim for work identified as part of the class action.

We strongly recommend that readers of the following still refer to formal legal counsel if they have any doubts or concerns about the process. All information below is shared in the interest of empowering our community more broadly, and subject to change as new details arise.

Please also fill out our survey if you have been impacted by Anthropic downloads.

Some important considerations:

• This matter is far from concluded, so we may reasonably expect that it will take time to receive all necessary answers to questions as they arise.
• The fullness of our next steps as authors may similarly take time to present themselves.
• SFWA will inform our writing community of potential action items as they arise.
  In FAQ #3, SFWA will provide a more detailed FAQ around edge cases, as have emerged for complex claims scenarios like anthologies.
• Please write to office@sfwa.org with ADVOCACY FAQ in the subject line, to request further inclusions for our next update.
• We ask that you share information about this situation with as many authors as you can, but only from trusted sources. Be cautious around sources that overpromise on author outcomes and deliverables.
• The Anthropic Copyright Settlement website is our most reliable source of information at this time.
• Not all impacted authors will receive compensation, and compensation will vary significantly even among those whose works appear in the official List of Works. As we move forward, we will take insights from this case into future rounds of writer education, advocacy, and defense. The work goes on.
• We are here for you. Keep writing.

Who can file a claim?

Anyone who is a legal, beneficial, or sole owner of a work on the List of Works (https://secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup) should file a claim to ensure they are included in the settlement.

• You are the beneficial owner of a work if you signed over the exclusive right to publish/reproduce that work in exchange for royalties and that contract is still in effect.
•  You are the legal owner of a work if those rights have been signed over to you (as publisher) or you have retained or reclaimed those rights.
• As author, you are the sole owner if the work was self-published, if the primary publication/reproduction right in your contract is non-exclusive, if you have reverted the rights from the publisher, or the contract with the publisher has terminated.
• As publisher, you are the sole ownerif you are also the author (i.e., the book was self-published), if the work was commissioned as a work-for-hire, or otherwise all rights were assigned to you and you do not pay royalties on the work.

*Do I have works on the List of Works?

*Yes.

Congratulations. You may still want to double-check the information in the Works List to make sure it is correct and do searches using variations on your name and the title of your works to make sure you’ve found them all.

*No.

Unfortunately, none of your works may have been included in the settlement. The works on the Works List are a subset of the works that are part of the LibGen pirate database available on the Atlantic website,and many authors receive an unpleasant surprise when they check the official Works List.The Works List is made up of works that were actually downloaded by Anthropic and they stopped doing so in 2022, so any work that was  downloaded by Anthropic after that is not on the Works List. Additionally, only works with copyright registrations are eligible for the settlement, so if your work wasn’t registered, it won’t be on the list.

One reliable way to search for your works on the Works List is to use the Copyright Registration Number that is available (in most cases) on the Copyright Office website at https://publicrecords.copyright.gov/search. If it’s not found there, the odds are that it wasn’t registered.

*Is the information correct?

In a quick survey of random works on the Works List, there appear to be a number of works that have errors in the data. There may be multiple ISBNs or ASINs, some of which don’t correspond to the current edition or the edition which had its copyright registered. The publisher may not be the current one or a publisher that, for example, published the audiobook, which is not part of the settlement.

Although getting the ASIN/ISBN correct isn’t crucial, it’s essential to get the Copyright Registration Number, author, and title of the work correct.

SFWA has requested additional information from the plaintiff’s lawyers about how to deal with errors, and their answer will appear in the next SFWA FAQ. We suggest that you either wait for a definitive answer or contact the Settlement Administrator directly by calling 877-206-2314, or by emailing info@AnthropicCopyrightSettlement.com.

*Where is the form I must fill out to make a claim?

The short form is online at https://secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/.

The long form is a PDF that can be downloaded and submitted by mail: https://assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/1eeb16db-4934-006e-40a6-38fa91285ebb/c9d927bc-acd2-46df-9a1f-88290e3bbbd1/Anthropic%20Copyright%20Settlement%20Claim%20Form.pdf. It is listed among the Important Documents on the website.

*Should I use the online form or the long form?

If you have a straightforward situation in which you accept the default 50/50 publisher/author split or are the sole owner, you should use the short form.

In any other case, you should use the long form, which allows you to include comments and submit documentation.You can use a single form for all your works. There is no need to use multiple claim forms.

*What if the work is published under my pen name or pseudonym?

Ideally, you should use the name that the copyright is registered under. If for whatever reason, you wish to keep your name confidential, you should contact the Settlement Administrator.

*What if the work is a collaboration?

You will have to use the long form and include the name of your collaborator(s) in Section C. We have inquired about a collaborative Sole Legal Owner with the plaintiff’s attorney, and more information should appear in the next SFWA FAQ.

*What if I have a story in an anthology that is included in the settlement?

Currently, SFWA does not have a definitive answer for this question and has requested additional information from the settlement attorneys. That information will be included in FAQ #3.

*Under what circumstances should I file as the Sole Legal Owner? What proof do I need?

If you are the author and sole owner of the rights to publication/reproduction of the work (i.e., if you have either self-published, reverted your rights, or your publishing contract has expired), you should file on the short form and answer yes to “are you the sole legal/beneficial owner?”

You are also the sole legal owner if your current contract grants only non-exclusive rights.

You do not have to submit any documentation; however, if another entity submits a claim for the same work, a process begins in which you may have to submit some proof, although not necessarily a reversion letter if rights have reverted to you.

*Should I accept the default 50/50 split with my publisher?

The 50/50 split is based on how most publishing contracts divide the proceeds of infringement litigation between author and publisher.

If your contract stipulates a different split, or you otherwise wish to challenge the default, you must use the long claim form, complete the table on page 7 of the form, and provide documents (i.e., a contract) to support the percentages you list in the table. You may contact SFWA’s Contracts Committee (contracts@sfwa.org) if you are unsure what your contract says.

*Should I file my claims right now?

Although the Settlement Administrators have urged claimants to file as soon as they are ready, the claims don’t have to be submitted until March 23, 2026.

If you have any questions or your situation isnot the default, it may be better to hold off until you can get definitive answers. Note that you will be able to correct or modify a claim after it has been submitted.

*Do I need a Unique ID?

No, you may file a claim without a Unique ID.

The Settlement Administrators will be sending out direct notices to authors for whom they have contact information before the end of November and it is likely it will include a Unique ID. (SFWA members’ contact information was subpoenaed and has been submitted.)

*What if I want to opt out or object?

You can definitely do that. The deadline for both opting out and submitting an objection is January 7, 2026.

*When will I get paid?

The current estimate for payment of claims is Summer 2026.

*Is this a sure thing?

At this stage the settlement is preliminary. 

The final hearing will be held on April 23, 2026 and at that time objections will be heard and the judge will consider some additional data including the percentage of potential claimants that have made claims. The judge will have the final say.

In a memorandum opinion to the court filed on October 17, Judge Alsup said, “The settlement is within the range likely to be granted final approval.” And while this is by no means final approval, it’s a good start.