On December 1, The Sankei Shimbun lodged a formal protest against the U.S. startup Perplexity, demanding an immediate cessation of copyright infringement related to its generative artificial intelligence (AI) search service. The complaint specifically accuses Perplexity of unauthorized usage of articles from the newspaper’s platforms, Sankei News and Sankei Sports, asserting that the AI service has utilized their content without permission to generate user responses.
On the same day, the Mainichi Shimbun and Kyodo News also filed separate complaints against Perplexity for similar alleged rights violations. Collectively, the three companies issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over the implications of such copyright infringements on the integrity of journalism. Sankei indicated it would address the matter firmly, with potential legal action under consideration.
The complaint emphasizes that Perplexity’s actions represent “free riding” on the hard work and financial resources invested in producing quality journalism. It outlines that this misuse violates reproduction and public transmission rights as stipulated under the Copyright Act. Furthermore, Sankei argues that Perplexity’s practice of presenting misleading content while attributing it to their publications significantly damages the newspaper’s credibility.
The legal challenges facing Perplexity extend beyond Japan. In August, the Tokyo, Osaka, and Western regional offices of the Yomiuri Shimbun filed a lawsuit seeking damages and remedies for similar infringements, with both the Asahi Shimbun and Nikkei Shimbun following suit. In the United States, Dow Jones, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, along with other media outlets, has initiated legal proceedings alleging copyright infringement as well.
In a collective statement, the three Japanese newspapers asserted that rampant copyright infringement poses a grave threat to accurate and reliable reporting, which is fundamental to the democratic process. The escalating legal actions reflect a broader concern within the media industry regarding the implications of generative AI technologies on established journalism practices.
Founded in 2022 by former employees of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, Perplexity employs search engines and generative AI to aggregate information from the internet and respond to user inquiries. As the use of AI in news dissemination continues to grow, the disputes surrounding copyright and content ownership are likely to intensify, raising critical questions about the future of journalism in the digital age.
The ongoing legal confrontations serve as a pivotal moment for media organizations striving to protect their intellectual property in an evolving technological landscape. The outcome of these disputes could set significant precedents for how generative AI companies interact with traditional media, underscoring the necessity for clear guidelines and respect for copyright laws in the age of artificial intelligence.
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