CNN sues Perplexity over ‘verbatim’ copycat articles | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.CNN sues Perplexity over ‘verbatim’ copycat articlesNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...AICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AINewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsPolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyCNN sues Perplexity over ‘verbatim’ copycat articlesPerplexity is accused of scraping CNN’s work without permission and providing users with content locked behind its paywall.Perplexity is accused of scraping CNN’s work without permission and providing users with content locked behind its paywall.by Emma RothCloseEmma RothNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Emma RothMay 28, 2026, 2:08 PM UTCLinkShareGiftIllustration by Kristen Radtke / The VergePart OfPerplexity AI: the answer engine with a lot of question markssee all updates Emma RothCloseEmma RothPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.CNN has filed a lawsuit against Perplexity, claiming that the startup’s AI tools generate “verbatim” copies of its work, as reported earlier by CNN. The lawsuit, filed in a New York court on Thursday, also alleges that Perplexity provides users with information locked behind CNN’s subscription.Perplexity, which offers an AI “answer” engine along with the AI browser Comet, is accused of ignoring CNN’s efforts “to recognize or block Perplexity’s unidentified crawlers” from scraping its content. “Human beings report, research, write, edit, and create the content that Perplexity takes without permission or compensation,” the lawsuit claims.In one instance, CNN accuses Perplexity’s AI search tool of producing “substantial” verbatim portions of its article, “What’s next for Minneapolis? A shaky promise, mounting tensions and the fight for control,” by simply prompting the tool with its title. CNN joins a long list of companies that are suing Perplexity for copyright infringement, including The New York Times, Encyclopedia Britannica, Merriam-Webster, and The Wall Street Journal’s parent company, News Corp. Perplexity is also facing lawsuits from Amazon and Reddit.As alleged in the lawsuit, CNN says its deal to offer its content through Perplexity’s Comet Plus subscription in October 2025 “did not lead to a final agreement between the parties due to the inability to agree on multiple issues, including limits on Perplexity’s use of CNN content in its answers to users.” CNN scrapped the agreement in November and later wrote a letter to Perplexity, demanding that it stop using its content and trademarks without permission. Perplexity allegedly didn’t respond.CNN is seeking damages and a permanent block on Perplexity’s allegedly unlawful conduct. When reached for comment, Perplexity spokesperson Jesse Dwyer said, “You can’t copyright facts.”Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Emma RothCloseEmma RothNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Emma RothAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AICopyrightCloseCopyrightPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All CopyrightLawCloseLawPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All LawNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsPolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyMore in: Perplexity AI: the answer engine with a lot of question marksWho’s paying for these Perplexity ads?Mia SatoMay 8Lawsuit accuses Perplexity of sharing conversations with Meta and Google.Emma RothApr 3Perplexity’s Personal Computer turns your spare Mac into an AI agentRobert HartMar 12Most PopularMost PopularValve raises Steam Deck prices by more than $200Sony’s first RGB TV is a statement pieceSony is offering up to 50 percent off some of our favorite PS5 gamesThe golden age of handheld gaming is already overHere’s how Google is responding to Fitbit users who don’t like the new Health appThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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CNN has initiated a lawsuit against Perplexity, alleging that the startup's artificial intelligence tools generate verbatim copies of CNN's published work without proper permission. The lawsuit further contends that Perplexity provides users with information that is restricted behind CNN's subscription paywall. This legal action stems from allegations that Perplexity scraped CNN's content without authorization and failed to adequately respond to CNN's efforts to recognize or block Perplexity’s unidentified crawlers from accessing the material. The core claim asserts that human beings are responsible for researching, writing, editing, and creating the content that Perplexity utilizes without any compensation or consent.

In a specific instance, CNN accused Perplexity’s AI search tool of producing substantial verbatim portions of an article, specifically citing the piece titled “What’s next for Minneapolis? A shaky promise, mounting tensions and the fight for control,” simply by prompting the tool with the title. This case places CNN among a group of entities, including The New York Times, Encyclopedia Britannica, Merriam-Webster, and News Corp., that are suing Perplexity for copyright infringement.

The dispute also involves a prior agreement regarding content licensing. CNN claims that the deal struck to offer its content through Perplexity’s Comet Plus subscription in October 2025 did not result in a final agreement because parties could not agree on several critical issues, including establishing limits on Perplexity's use of CNN content in its user-facing answers. Consequently, CNN terminated the agreement in November and subsequently issued a letter demanding that Perplexity cease using its content and trademarks without explicit permission, a demand which allegedly went unaddressed by Perplexity. CNN is currently seeking damages and a permanent injunction against Perplexity for these alleged unlawful conduct.

In response to these claims, Perplexity’s spokesperson, Jesse Dwyer, defended the company by stating that copyright cannot be applied to facts. This legal conflict highlights the complex intersection of intellectual property rights, the use of large language models, and the monetization of published journalistic content in the age of generative AI.