Penske Media is suing Google over AI news summaries
Penske Media Corporation (the folks behind Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Variety) just sued Google.
They say Google's new AI-generated news summaries are using their articles without permission—and it's hurting their website traffic and revenue.
The lawsuit landed in Washington D.C. on September 12, 2025.
PMC's traffic and revenue have taken a hit
PMC claims Google only shows their content in search if they agree to let AI use it for quick Overviews—now showing up in about one out of five searches that send people to PMC sites.
PMC says its affiliate revenue has fallen by more than a third from its peak by the end of 2024 as search traffic declined.
With Google controlling nearly 90% of the US search market, PMC argues they're left with little choice.
Google says AI overviews are good for publishers
Google insists its AI Overviews help users and actually boost traffic for more publishers. They've called the lawsuit "meritless."
But many in digital media worry that big tech is setting the rules—and smaller outlets could lose out as AI becomes a bigger part of how we get our news.
This case is part of a growing pushback from publishers who want fairer terms in the age of AI.