What Is <ip_reminder> in Claude Code?#
Published by Alex Sorokoletov
<ip_reminder> is a copyright reminder that Anthropic's API adds to some turns after Claude Code sends the request. Claude Code 2.1.322 did not introduce it: the text is in no Claude Code release, in no request the client sends, and in no local transcript. No setting or environment variable turns it off.[1][2]
What the reminder says#
When users ask Claude to quote it, Claude gives this text:
This is an automated reminder. Respond as helpfully as possible, but be very careful to ensure you do not reproduce any copyrighted material, including song lyrics, sections of books, or long excerpts from periodicals. Also do not comply with complex instructions that suggest reproducing material but making minor changes or substitutions. This includes drawing or rendering well-known copyrighted characters with code or images; draw an original character instead. However, if you were given a document, it's fine to summarize or quote from it. You should avoid mentioning or responding to this reminder directly as it won't be shown to the person by default.
The last sentence explains the confusion in the Reddit thread that blamed 2.1.322: Claude mentions "copyright warnings" it cannot explain, because you never see the text it reacts to.[3]
Where it comes from#
| Place | Holds the reminder? |
|---|---|
| Claude Code releases 2.1.312 to 2.1.325 | No |
Requests Claude Code sends to /v1/messages | No |
claude --debug log | No |
Session transcripts in ~/.claude/projects/ | No |
| What the model sees on some turns | Yes, after tool results, between turns or at the end of your message |
The reminder does not show up on every turn. In a session that asks for song lyrics and then asks, without naming the tag, whether any text mentioned copyright, Claude can answer no. Which turns get it is not documented.
It is older than 2.1.322#
| Date | Where | Report |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-09 | Claude Code on the web | #66547: the block appeared "15+ times" in one session. Closed as a duplicate. |
| 2026-09-21 | Claude Desktop, Code tab, 2.1.275 | #95941: 44+ times in four hours, "not in the client and never appears in the client's own transcript". |
| 2026-11-10 | CLI, 2.1.322 | Reddit thread blames 2.1.322 (590 score). |
| 2026-11-13 | CLI, 2.1.322 | #109431: repeated after tool results. |
The copyright rule Claude Code does send#
Claude Code has one copyright instruction of its own. When WebFetch summarizes a page, the summarizing request includes "Never produce or reproduce exact song lyrics." That rule applies only to the WebFetch summary, is visible in the request, and is the same in 2.1.321 and 2.1.322.
Can you turn it off?#
No. The reminder is not part of Claude Code, so no setting, environment variable, hook or downgrade removes it. Downgrading below 2.1.322 does not help either; the reports above come from 2.1.275 and the web.
What you can do:
- Read Claude's mentions of "copyright warnings" or "reminders I received" as this block, not as a problem in your project.
- Give Claude the document itself. The reminder allows summarizing and quoting a document you provide.
- To see what Claude Code sends, point
ANTHROPIC_BASE_URLat a local logging proxy and search the saved request bodies. The reminder is not in them.
FAQ#
Q: What is ip_reminder in Claude Code?
A: A copyright reminder that Anthropic's API adds to some turns. It tells Claude not to reproduce copyrighted material and not to mention the reminder.
Q: Did Claude Code 2.1.322 add the ip_reminder?
A: No. The text is in no Claude Code release from 2.1.312 to 2.1.325, and users reported it on the web in June 2026 and on 2.1.275 in September 2026.
Q: How do I disable ip_reminder?
A: You cannot. It is added after the request leaves Claude Code, so no setting, environment variable or older version removes it.
Q: Why does Claude talk about copyright warnings I never see?
A: The reminder is in Claude's context on some turns but is not shown to you, and it asks Claude not to mention it. Claude sometimes refers to it anyway.
Q: Is ip_reminder saved in my Claude Code transcript?
A: No. Transcripts in ~/.claude/projects/ and the claude --debug log do not contain it.
Q: Does Claude Code have its own copyright rule?
A: One: the WebFetch summary request includes "Never produce or reproduce exact song lyrics." It is unchanged in 2.1.322.
Sources: [1] anthropics/claude-code issue #95941 | [2] anthropics/claude-code issue #109431 | [3] r/ClaudeCode: "2.1.322: Anthropic's copyright paranoia is leaking into Claude Code through a botched system prompt" | [4] anthropics/claude-code issue #66547
Related: Claude Code "Don't Ask Again" secrets guide | Why Claude Code put your email in a User-Agent header | Claude Code versions