News Corp Sues Perplexity AI Over Unauthorized Content Scraping

Key Takeaways

News Corp has filed a lawsuit against Perplexity AI for using its content without permission or payment.

The lawsuit claims Perplexity committed copyright infringement and violated trademarks.

News Corp is seeking damages and the removal of Perplexity's content database.

News Corp, the media powerhouse behind publications like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post, is taking legal action against AI startup Perplexity. The media giant is accusing Perplexity of using its content without proper consent or compensation.

According to The Register, the lawsuit claims Perplexity has been scraping News Corp’s articles and repurposing them through its AI engine without permission. This, News Corp argues, is a clear violation of copyright and trademarks. They believe the startup has been using their original content to train its AI models, effectively sidestepping the legal responsibility to pay for it.

The suit also highlights how Perplexity’s AI search engine allows users to get summaries of articles without actually visiting the original sites. News Corp claims this practice not only robs them of revenue but also devalues the hard work and integrity of their journalism. They’re seeking up to $150,000 in damages for each infringement and are pushing for the destruction of Perplexity’s content database.

A Bigger Battle Brewing Between Media and AI

This lawsuit is part of a larger issue that’s gaining traction—AI firms using media content without proper licensing. Earlier this month, The New York Times sent Perplexity a cease-and-desist letter, demanding they stop using their content without permission. Perplexity’s response? They argue that they don’t use scraped content for AI training and that facts can’t be copyrighted.

It’s not the first time media outlets have taken action. The New York Times previously sued OpenAI in a similar case, which resulted in a $250 million settlement earlier this year.

Founded in 2022, Perplexity has been making waves in the tech world with its innovative AI-driven approach to retrieving information. Often compared to Google, the company has become a notable player in the search engine world. But this lawsuit underscores the growing tension between traditional media and AI companies over how content is used and compensated.

In a world where technology is advancing quickly, it’s clear that the lines between innovation and intellectual property rights are becoming more blurred, leaving companies like News Corp determined to defend their content.