A badclaude open-source project that “accelerates Claude code” was sent an infringement notice letter by Anthropic.

This Monday, an open-source project called “badclaude,” which claims it can speed up Claude Code, went viral—and then it received a notice from Anthropic to stop alleged infringement. The funny part is that this was already part of the project’s roadmap.
(Background: Claude Code adds a cloud scheduled task feature! No need to open your computer—AI automatically reviews PRs and upgrades)
(Additional context: Anthropic’s subscription has shut down the “Lobster OpenClaw” for Claude Code! Going forward, third-party tools can only be used under paid tiers)

This week, someone posted an open-source project called “badclaude” on GitHub, claiming it can speed up the execution efficiency of Claude Code. The underlying execution mechanism is simple: every time you “crack the whip,” the program sends a Ctrl-C interrupt signal to Claude Code, and also randomly throws in an “incentive phrase.” Although it is mostly just malicious trolling, it quickly gained massive community discussion momentum in a short time.

As a result, according to a report by “Machine Heart,” within just a few days of going live, Anthropic sent a cease and desist letter, demanding that the author immediately stop using brand identifiers such as “Claude” or “Anthropic” in the name, title, description, and marketing materials, and requiring written confirmation that the remediation has been completed by April 14, 2026.

The full text of the notice letter is as follows:

We write to you regarding the project currently publicly referred to as “badclaude.” Based on publicly available materials, the project appears to use the name of Claude and is marketed within the framework of features that interact with Claude, which may cause confusion regarding the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement.

Any implication that the project is related to Anthropic, has been approved by Anthropic, or is affiliated with Anthropic may mislead the public. Therefore, we require you to immediately stop using Claude, Anthropic, or any similar brand identifiers in the project name, title, marketing, description, or promotion, remove any statements, text, or materials that may suggest the project is related to Anthropic, has received endorsement from Anthropic, or has been authorized by Anthropic, and, absent express written authorization, avoid associating Anthropic brand identifiers with the project.

Anthropіc’s legal logic is: naming it directly “Claude,” and marketing it by pitching it as something that “interacts with Claude Code,” makes it easy for users to mistakenly believe it is an officially recognized tool.

Receiving the cease-and-desist letter is, in fact, part of the plan

But the most absurd part of the whole affair is that “getting a cease-and-desist letter from Anthropic” was already listed in the project’s roadmap—it just turned out to happen so quickly.

The creator successfully “achieved the goal,” and left this statement on the project’s GitHub page, triggering a wave of laughter across the online community.

This “take pride in being a defendant” stance, to some extent, also reflects a mocking response from the open-source community to the brand-protection strategy of big AI companies: the more you try to control it, the more I’ll cause a commotion.

Anthropic’s brand anxiety

From Anthropic’s perspective, this kind of issue is not uncommon. As Claude Code has spread rapidly and the developer ecosystem continues to grow, third-party tools, plugins, and accelerators appearing under the “Claude” name keep emerging.

Although the cease-and-desist letter requires remediation to be completed by April 14, it remains unclear what will happen next with the badclaude project. But what is certain is that the project’s creator has already, in this lopsided legal game, secured the maximum exposure at the lowest possible cost.