CNN vs. Perplexity: The Legal Battle Over the Use of Facts

The question of information ownership is at the heart of a lawsuit between CNN and Perplexity. The American network accuses the artificial intelligence company of using over 17,000 articles, images, and videos without permission. CNN has filed a complaint in a New York court, claiming that Perplexity exploits its original content without compensation, to the detriment of the creators of this information.

CNN emphasizes the importance of quality journalism, which is often costly and risky to produce, and believes that commercial companies should pay for access to this content. However, Jesse Dwyer, Perplexity's communications director, defends the company by stating that AI uses facts, which are not protected by copyright.

In 2025, CNN attempted to reach a licensing agreement with Perplexity, but without success. Nevertheless, CNN already has a similar agreement with Meta, allowing the latter's AI to use its information. This is the first time CNN has sued Perplexity, although many similar complaints have been filed in the United States against AI giants, with no convictions yet issued.

The legal debate centers on the protection of the facts reported by CNN. According to the U.S. Copyright Office, facts are not protected, but their expression can be. CNN argues that its articles do not merely report raw facts, but are the result of unique journalistic work. The court will need to determine whether Perplexity has merely used facts or if it has also appropriated elements of CNN's editorial line.

CNN insists that its lawsuit is not directed against artificial intelligence itself. The group has already shown its willingness to collaborate with tech companies, as evidenced by its agreement with Meta. However, the failure of negotiations with Perplexity in 2025 highlights the ongoing challenges in establishing fair partnerships between content creators and AI companies.

This lawsuit is part of a broader context in which many American media outlets have filed similar lawsuits against artificial intelligence companies. Although these cases have not yet resulted in convictions, they raise crucial questions about how journalistic content is used by emerging technologies. The New York court will have to decide whether Perplexity has overstepped legal boundaries by using CNN's content without permission.