FILED & PENDING
Is Academia.edu using your identity to sell its products?
Salahi PC represents a proposed class of academics and researchers challenging Academia.edu’s alleged use of their names in emails and ads that sell its Premium subscription.
Free and confidential. No fee unless we recover money for you.
You may have a claim if
- Academia.edu sent an email, or showed an advertisement, that used your name to encourage someone else to buy a Premium membership
- You did not agree to have your name used that way
- You live in Alabama, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, South Dakota, or Washington
What we allege
The complaint alleges that Academia.edu sends emails and displays advertisements to non-paying users that feature the name of another person the user might know or be interested in, a form of social engineering designed to get people to pay for the service. Using a person’s name to sell a product without permission violates the right-of-publicity laws of several states.
On May 7, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California denied Academia’s motion to compel arbitration and its motion to dismiss, and the case is proceeding.
What the advertisements look like. According to the complaint, the challenged emails and on-site advertisements look like these examples:
What happens next
- Tell us what happened. The form takes about two minutes.
- An attorney reviews your answers and reaches out to you promptly.
- If your situation fits the case, we explain your options. There is no fee unless we recover money for you.
Your team
Yaman Salahi
Founding Partner
Nicole Cabañez
Associate
Taylor Applegate
Associate
Michael Li
Senior Paralegal
Check if you qualify
Free and confidential. We’ll reach out promptly.
Attorney advertising. The allegations described above have not been proven in court.