Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s largest newspaper, has filed a landmark lawsuit against AI startup Perplexity, accusing the company of copyright infringement. This marks the first case in Japan where a news publisher has taken legal action against an AI firm for such violations.
According to the lawsuit, Perplexity allegedly accessed over 119,000 articles from Yomiuri’s website between February and July 2025 without authorization. The startup then reportedly used these articles to generate responses for user queries, bypassing licensing agreements and compensation.
Legal Grounds and Demands
Yomiuri claims Perplexity breached two core principles of Japanese copyright law, which grant rights holders control over the copying and distribution of their works. The plaintiffs — Yomiuri’s headquarters in Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka — are demanding nearly $15 million in damages and a complete halt to the unauthorized use of their content.
Japanese law does allow AI developers to train models on copyrighted material without prior permission, thanks to a 2018 amendment aimed at fostering innovation in AI. However, this exemption does not cover mass copying or distribution that “unreasonably harms the rights holder’s interests,” which Yomiuri argues Perplexity has done.
Perplexity’s Response
A Perplexity spokesperson expressed regret over the dispute, stating that the company is committed to investigating the allegations thoroughly. They emphasized that Perplexity seeks to build mutually beneficial models for publishers and journalists in the AI era.
This is not the first time Perplexity has faced copyright-related legal action. In late 2024, the Wall Street Journal and New York Post filed similar lawsuits in the United States. Outside the U.S., however, the company has mostly avoided major legal battles — until now.
A Growing Global Pattern
The Yomiuri lawsuit mirrors a global wave of litigation against AI companies accused of exploiting copyrighted content without permission. Earlier this year, the BBC threatened Perplexity with legal action, demanding the removal of stored materials.
Other industry giants, including OpenAI and Meta, are also under pressure. Indian news outlets Indian Express, Hindu, and India Today have sued OpenAI, while in France, major authors’ and publishers’ associations have taken Meta to court, accusing it of economic parasitism.
Conclusion
The Yomiuri vs. Perplexity case could set a critical precedent in Japan’s AI copyright landscape, potentially reshaping how AI companies source and use news content. As the legal battle unfolds, its outcome will be closely watched worldwide, as it may influence the balance between innovation in AI and the protection of intellectual property rights.
