Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. v. Perplexity AI, Inc.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. and Merriam-Webster, Inc. have commenced proceedings against Perplexity AI, Inc. in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging copyright infringement and trademark violations.

The Complaint asserts that Perplexity operates a generative artificial intelligence "answer engine" that purports to revolutionise internet search by providing users with comprehensive responses rather than traditional search results, contending that this system eliminates the need for users to visit original source websites. According to the pleadings, Perplexity's AI technology employs a retrieval-augmented generation model that systematically accesses, copies, and repackages content from the claimants' websites without authorisation. The claim further alleges that Perplexity infringes copyright at three stages: during initial web crawling through "PerplexityBot", when copying articles as inputs for its AI model, and when generating outputs that substantially reproduce the claimants' copyrighted works. The complaint additionally asserts trademark violations when Perplexity's system generates false content whilst displaying the claimants' trademarks. Encyclopaedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster seek remedies for what they characterise as unauthorised appropriation of their substantial investments in content creation, asserting causes of action under federal copyright and trademark law.

This summary is provided for educational and research purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Allegations described are those made in the filings. Please consult the underlying source documents.