Perplexity, a company known for its AI-driven web search capabilities, faces a new lawsuit from Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster. The legal action, filed in federal court in New York on September 10, accuses Perplexity of copyright and trademark violations.
In their complaint, the plaintiffs contend that Perplexity’s “answer engine” unlawfully scrapes their websites, diverts their online traffic, and reproduces their proprietary content without permission. Additionally, Britannica claims that Perplexity infringes on its trademarks by associating the company names with erroneous or incomplete information.
The use of the term “plagiarize” emphasizes the core allegations in the lawsuit. Included in the court files are side-by-side screenshots demonstrating that the output from Perplexity closely mirrors Merriam-Webster’s official definitions.
Perplexity presents itself as a competitor to Google Search, with some critics referring to it as a “bullshit machine” for its alleged practice of reproducing original content without proper credit. Additionally, the AI firm is said to engage in “stealth crawling,” a controversial method that circumvents website protections designed to block scrapers, a technique noted among various AI companies.
Backed by influential investors, including Jeff Bezos, Perplexity has faced scrutiny from numerous media organizations such as Forbes, The New York Times, and the BBC. Furthermore, in October 2024, News Corp, the parent organization of The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, initiated legal proceedings against Perplexity.
While some media companies have opted to participate in Perplexity’s ad revenue sharing initiative, such as Time magazine and the Los Angeles Times, others, like World History Encyclopedia, have joined Perplexity’s publisher program. On September 8, World History Encyclopedia launched a Perplexity-powered AI chatbot designed to help users navigate its comprehensive collection of sources and academic articles.
