CNN has sued Perplexity, accusing the AI firm of unlawfully utilizing the information community’s copyrighted content material with out permission.
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, claims that Perplexity copied over 17,000 of CNN’s tales, movies, photographs, and different revealed works to assist its merchandise and instruments.
“[Perplexity], an organization valued at tens of billions of {dollars}, shouldn’t be capable of steal from entities that create the unique content material Perplexity exploits,” mentioned a CNN spokesperson in a statement. “The general public depends on high-quality information journalism reported by human beings to know their world, which is ceaselessly harmful and costly to supply. Industrial operators can and should pay to utilize it.”
What does the lawsuit say?
Filed in america District Court docket for the Southern District of New York, the lawsuit is CNN’s first authorized case in opposition to an AI firm.
The go well with outlined how along with copyright infringement, Perplexity additionally allegedly violated CNN’s trademarks by falsely claiming an affiliation between the model and CNN.
In October 2025, CNN and Perplexity negotiated a partnership permitting the AI firm to entry CNN paywalled content material for its Comet Plus customers in change for compensation to CNN.
Nevertheless, the deal fell by way of in November 2025 because of CNN’s and Perplexity’s incapacity to agree on a number of points, in keeping with the authorized criticism. Over the course of negotiations and after, CNN blocked Perplexity’s AI bot from accessing its content material.
“Because of this, earlier than and after Perplexity’s negotiations with CNN, Perplexity knew that it was not permitted to entry CNN’s content material or to make use of its logos or service marks,” the lawsuit states.
In December 2025, CNN wrote to Perplexity’s then-head of authorized and operations, demanding a cease to all unauthorized use of CNN’s title and content material. Perplexity allegedly by no means responded to CNN’s letter and continued to make use of CNN’s content material.
In a press release to Quick Firm, Perplexity’s chief communications officer, Jesse Dwyer, mentioned, “You may’t copyright info.”
This isn’t the primary occasion of authorized bother for Perplexity. The New York Times, News Corp., Chicago Tribune, and Britannica are among the many media retailers which have sued the AI startup lately.
CNN is looking for damages and restitution of income.
