Perplexity, an AI-powered web search and answer engine, is facing yet another lawsuit alleging copyright and trademark infringement. This time, the plaintiffs are Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster, two of the most trusted reference brands in the world. The lawsuit was filed in New York federal court on September 10, 2025, and marks another legal challenge for the AI startup, which has positioned itself as a competitor to Google Search.
According to the court filing, Perplexity’s “answer engine” has been scraping content from Britannica and Merriam-Webster websites, allegedly reproducing their definitions and other copyrighted material without permission. The companies claim that this practice not only plagiarizes their work but also siphons off internet traffic that would otherwise reach their sites. The lawsuit further alleges trademark infringement, as Perplexity reportedly attaches Britannica and Merriam-Webster’s names to AI-generated content that can be incomplete or even hallucinated. Screenshots included in the court documents show Perplexity’s definitions nearly identical to Merriam-Webster’s original entries, a point highlighted by the plaintiffs as evidence of plagiarism.
Perplexity has previously drawn criticism from media observers, who have described it as a “bullshit machine” that reproduces content without proper citations. The company is also accused of “stealth crawling” websites, bypassing standard crawler blockers, a practice reportedly used by several AI startups seeking large datasets for training their models.
Founded in 2022, Perplexity has attracted high-profile investors, including Jeff Bezos. However, the company has also faced a string of legal disputes. In October 2024, News Corp, the parent company of The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, sued Perplexity over similar allegations. Other media outlets, including Forbes, The New York Times, and the BBC, have also raised concerns about the company’s use of copyrighted material.
Despite the controversies, some publishers have opted into Perplexity’s ad revenue sharing program. Organizations like Time magazine and the Los Angeles Times have joined the program, and the World History Encyclopedia launched a Perplexity-powered AI chatbot in September 2025. The chatbot allows users to explore the encyclopedia’s sources and academic articles while giving the publisher a share of ad revenue generated from the AI interactions.
This lawsuit underscores the ongoing tension between AI development and intellectual property rights. As AI companies increasingly rely on scraping and summarizing existing content, traditional publishers are seeking stronger protections to ensure that their work is not reproduced without consent. The outcome of this case could have wide-ranging implications for the AI industry, potentially shaping how companies like Perplexity source data and attribute content in the future.
With multiple lawsuits mounting, Perplexity faces both reputational and operational challenges. How the company navigates these legal battles may set a precedent for the broader AI landscape and the delicate balance between innovation and copyright law.
