Japanese Publishers Sue Perplexity AI Over Copyright Violations

Japanese media giants Nikkei Inc. and The Asahi Shimbun Co. have filed lawsuits against AI startup Perplexity, seeking injunctions and ¥2.2 billion in damages. The publishers allege unauthorized use of copyrighted content, claiming the $18 billion-valued chatbot ignored website coding restrictions and reproduced articles without permission since June 2023.

The legal action highlights growing tensions between news organizations and AI firms globally. Publishers argue such practices reduce website traffic and ad revenue while risking reputational damage through inaccurate summaries. Yomiuri Shimbun reports over 120,000 articles were used without consent.

This case mirrors similar copyright battles in Western markets, where media companies are challenging AI developers including OpenAI and Google. The outcome could set important precedents for content usage in generative AI applications.