Abstract: Copoly(amino acids) are produced by heating a mixture of at least one amino acid with at least one of ammonium malate, ammonium maleate or ammonium fumarate, or ammonium salts of malic, maleic or fumaric acid monoamide, or malic, maleic or fumaric acid monoamide or diamide, and hydrolyzing the reaction mixture under neutral or alkaline condition. The method is simple and easy to handle, and therefore, it is suitable for industrial applications.