TLDR: Japanese newspaper publishers Asahi Shimbun Co. and Nikkei Inc. have jointly sued U.S. generative AI company Perplexity AI Inc. for alleged large-scale copyright infringement. The lawsuit, filed in Tokyo, seeks an injunction, deletion of content, and ¥2.2 billion ($15 million) in damages for each plaintiff, highlighting a growing global legal battle over AI’s use of copyrighted material.
Tokyo, Japan – August 26, 2025 – In a significant legal challenge to the burgeoning artificial intelligence industry, two of Japan’s leading newspaper publishers, Asahi Shimbun Co. and Nikkei Inc., announced today they have jointly filed a lawsuit against U.S.-based generative AI company Perplexity AI Inc., alleging extensive copyright infringement of their journalistic content. The suit was lodged with the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
The Japanese media giants are seeking a comprehensive injunction to prevent Perplexity AI from further reproducing their articles, demanding the permanent deletion of all stored copyrighted content, and requesting a substantial ¥2.2 billion (approximately $15 million USD) in damages for each plaintiff. This legal action underscores a rapidly widening chasm between traditional media organizations and AI developers regarding the ethical and legal boundaries of content utilization.
According to a joint statement released by Asahi and Nikkei, Perplexity AI’s conduct constitutes ‘large-scale, ongoing ‘free riding’ on article content.’ The plaintiffs assert that Perplexity, which operates a service generating answers to user queries by processing information from the internet through its generative AI engines, has illicitly copied and stored their article content without authorization. This unauthorized use is alleged to have commenced as early as June 2024 and has continued unabated.
Further aggravating the situation, the newspapers claim that Perplexity’s AI search results disregarded specific coding designed to indicate content as off-limits. Moreover, the AI system is accused of inserting factual errors into its generated responses, which were then attributed to the news organizations, thereby damaging their reputations and journalistic integrity.
Perplexity AI, a San Francisco-based startup valued at an estimated $18 billion during its most recent fundraising round, has become a focal point in the global debate surrounding AI and intellectual property. This is not the first time the company has faced such accusations; it has also been targeted by other prominent media entities, including Forbes, News Corp.’s Dow Jones, and Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun.
The lawsuit highlights a critical juncture for the media industry, which argues that the unlicensed use of their work by AI tools directly siphons away readership and crucial advertising revenue. This ‘freeloading,’ as described by Asahi and Nikkei, poses an existential threat to already fragile business models that rely on accurate reporting and the significant investment of journalists’ time and effort. The joint statement emphasized, ‘If left unchecked, this could undermine all media outlets trying to accurately report the facts and ultimately shake the very foundations of democracy.’
Also Read:
- Perplexity Navigates AI Data Landscape with Publisher Revenue Share Amidst Scraping Allegations and Copyright Suits
- Elon Musk’s xAI and X File Antitrust Lawsuit Against Apple and OpenAI Over AI Market Dominance
Courts across Japan, the United States, and Europe are increasingly becoming key battlegrounds where legal precedents for the application of copyright law to generative AI are expected to be established, shaping the future landscape of content creation and distribution in the digital age.
