CNN sues Perplexity over 'massive' copyright infringement after licensing talks fail

What happened: CNN sued Perplexity in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (reported September 11, 2026), accusing the AI search company of "massive copyright infringement" - unlawfully copying, scraping, and distributing CNN's journalism after licensing negotiations between the companies failed. The complaint alleges Perplexity scraped content "with impunity, even when expressly asked by the copyright owner not to do so," free-riding on CNN's reporting, and that Perplexity knew before and after the negotiations that it was not permitted to access CNN's content or use its trademarks. Perplexity's chief communications officer, Jesse Dwyer, responded: "You can't copyright facts." CNN said this is its first lawsuit over AI copyright infringement - believed to be the first by a television network - and that it prefers "sensible licensing arrangements" but that companies which refuse to license "will have to pay through legal damages. There is no free option."

Why it matters to creators: A major TV network joining the publisher backlash after failed licensing talks reinforces licensing as the expected path for AI use of news content. The suit adds to the roster of publishers suing Perplexity - the New York Times, News Corp, the Chicago Tribune, Encyclopedia Britannica, Reddit, Yomiuri Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun and Nikkei - while other publishers (Gannett, TIME, Le Monde, Der Spiegel) have struck deals with Perplexity, showing the two-track sue-or-license strategy in action.

What is not yet known: No court has ruled; the allegations are unproven and Perplexity had not filed its formal court response at the time of reporting.