Chat GPT Is Eating the World

Category: class action

Plaintiffs’ lawyers from 4 firms vying to be Interim Lead Class Counsel in book authors’ copyright suits v. Apple

Now that the 3 AI copyright lawsuits against Apple have been consolidated before Judge Gonzalez Rogers, the respective plaintiffs’ lawyers have submitted motions to be approved as interim lead class counsel. Here are the 3 competing motions: Since this case has just started, it’s unclear whether an interim lead class counsel is even necessary at…
Read more: Plaintiffs’ lawyers from 4 firms vying to be Interim Lead Class Counsel in book authors’ copyright suits v. Apple
Judge Alsup finds major flaws with Bartz Class Website, “steered away from opting out” with no button to opt out. Court orders class website IMMEDIATELY disabled until fixes made.

Late Thursday night, Judge Alsup issued his third order on the Bartz class notice. The order is the most scathing critique of the Bartz class’s process for class members. Judge Alsup found that (1) the class website lacks a button for class members to opt out while presenting a button to file a claim for…
Read more: Judge Alsup finds major flaws with Bartz Class Website, “steered away from opting out” with no button to opt out. Court orders class website IMMEDIATELY disabled until fixes made.
Judge Alsup orders all parties and enlisted class help including Association of American Publishers, Authors Guild to preserve all communications re opt out, claims to class members

Just when Bartz book authors’ Class Counsel prevailed in securing an interim order against ClaimsHero from making misleading overtures to members of the class to opt out, Class Counsel may have inflamed a new controversy over the opt out process. ClaimsHero has modified its website as Judge Alsup ordered. But, on Sunday, Judge Alsup raised…
Read more: Judge Alsup orders all parties and enlisted class help including Association of American Publishers, Authors Guild to preserve all communications re opt out, claims to class members
ClaimsHero modifies webpage for Anthropic case to comply with Judge Alsup’s interim order

I found the revised webpage for the Anthropic case on ClaimHero’s website: Let’s how it complies with Judge Alsup’s interim order below:
Read more: ClaimsHero modifies webpage for Anthropic case to comply with Judge Alsup’s interim order
Bartz Class Counsel answers Judge Alsup’s questions about opt out timing and process

Bartz Class Counsel filed an answer to Judge Alsup’s request for information and concern about the early opt out process before class notice has been sent. Class Counsel says: (1) “The answer is Section 2 of the Plan of Allocation and Distribution (POA&D), Dkt. 401-1. That section expressly provides that ‘[o]pt-out requests and Claim Forms…
Read more: Bartz Class Counsel answers Judge Alsup’s questions about opt out timing and process
Judge Alsup raises new concerns about class members filing claims for 60,000 works before (i) direct notice and (ii) claims form lacking info on right to opt out. Asks Bartz Class Counsel if they informed court many class claims would occur before direct notice sent.

Judge Alsup issued an order Sunday afternoon expressing more concerns with how Bartz Class Counsel has implemented the claims process for people within the class. Today’s concern is with how already 60,000 works in the class, or over 12%, have been subject to claims. Usually that decent percentage of class participation would be a positive…
Read more: Judge Alsup raises new concerns about class members filing claims for 60,000 works before (i) direct notice and (ii) claims form lacking info on right to opt out. Asks Bartz Class Counsel if they informed court many class claims would occur before direct notice sent.
Judge Alsup denies and criticizes Bartz book authors’ Counsel for changes to class notice. Also denies Theodore Cheng as special master, finding his $1K per hour rate too high.

The Bartz v. Anthropic copyright lawsuit has faced more twists and turns than Odysseus. After Judge Alsup preliminarily approved the historic $1.5 billion class settlement (only after declining to approve it due to concerns the Judge raised at the first hearing), the claims process seemed to be moving along swimmingly. Bartz Class Counsel’s “Status Report”…
Read more: Judge Alsup denies and criticizes Bartz book authors’ Counsel for changes to class notice. Also denies Theodore Cheng as special master, finding his $1K per hour rate too high.
Bartz book authors face new foe: ClaimsHero firm seeking to represent book authors who opt out. Bartz asks Judge Alsup for expedited hearing on Nov. 12, 2025.

The Bartz book authors, who were successful in securing a $1.5 billion settlement in their copyright suit against Anthropic, now face a new foe: an Arizona based firm called ClaimsHero, which touts itself as “a platform and law firm dedicated to helping individuals seamlessly collect what’s theirs.“ On its website, ClaimsHero tracks class actions, especially…
Read more: Bartz book authors face new foe: ClaimsHero firm seeking to represent book authors who opt out. Bartz asks Judge Alsup for expedited hearing on Nov. 12, 2025.
Judge Alsup sets Fairness Hearing for Bartz settlement on April 23, 2026

Judge Alsup set the Fairness Hearing for April 23, 2026, noon, to consider the final approval of the class action settlement. It’s possible there will be a different judge presiding over the Fairness Hearing. Judge Alsup said he intended to go inactive by the end of the year, although he was not definitive.
Read more: Judge Alsup sets Fairness Hearing for Bartz settlement on April 23, 2026
Judge Alsup issues opinion on preliminary approval of class action settlement in Bartz v. Anthropic. Naomi Jane Gray to be appointed special master for disputes over settlement claims. Payout increased to $3,100 per book.

Judge Alsup has issued his formal opinion in Bartz v. Anthropic preliminarily approving the $1.5 class action settlement between the Bartz book author class and Anthropic. (The Judge had preliminarily approved the settlement orally at the hearing on September 25.) Two new things: (1) “Because 482,460 works were finally identified, not 500,000, the total per…
Read more: Judge Alsup issues opinion on preliminary approval of class action settlement in Bartz v. Anthropic. Naomi Jane Gray to be appointed special master for disputes over settlement claims. Payout increased to $3,100 per book.