Japanese newspaper sues Perplexity for using its content
What's the story
Japan's leading newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, has filed a lawsuit against US-based artificial intelligence (AI) company Perplexity. The suit alleges that Perplexity has been "free-riding" on the newspaper's content through its search engine. This is the first time a major Japanese news organization has taken such action against an AI firm.
Lawsuit details
Yomiuri claims loss of advertising revenue
The lawsuit, filed in Tokyo, seeks damages of 2.2 billion yen ($14.7 million). This amount corresponds to 120,000 Yomiuri articles that were allegedly used "without permission" between February and June this year. The newspaper also claims that Perplexity's users only click on its search summaries and not on the newspaper's website, resulting in reduced traffic and lost advertising revenue.
Concerns raised
Concerns over impact on democracy
A spokesperson for Yomiuri Shimbun has expressed concerns that Perplexity's actions could negatively affect accurate journalism and undermine democracy. The newspaper, which has a daily circulation of around six million, is one of five major dailies in Japan. Perplexity has yet to respond to these allegations or the lawsuit filed by Yomiuri Shimbun.
Previous reactions
Perplexity's previous legal battles
Notably, this isn't the first time Perplexity has faced a lawsuit over similar allegations. After being sued by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post in October, the company had criticized the "adversarial posture" of many media organizations as "shortsighted, unnecessary, and self-defeating." It argued that these organizations want a world where publicly reported facts are owned by corporations and no one can use them without paying a toll.