Perplexity AI Partners with Getty Images for Licensing Deal

Perplexity and Getty Images Forge Licensing Partnership

Perplexity, an AI-powered search company, has established a multi-year licensing agreement with Getty Images. This collaboration grants Perplexity the rights to showcase images sourced from Getty within its AI search and discovery platforms.

Addressing Past Concerns

The agreement represents a significant development for Perplexity. The company has previously faced accusations of content scraping and plagiarism. This partnership demonstrates a proactive step towards building more formalized content relationships.

A source with knowledge of the arrangement revealed that Perplexity and Getty have been collaborating for over a year. Prior to this formal deal, Getty participated in Perplexity’s Publishers’ Program, designed to share advertising revenue with publishers when their content appeared in search results.

Deal Structure and Implications

This new agreement differs from conventional licensing models. It’s not a standard lump-sum payment, as Perplexity does not independently train its own core AI models. Specific financial details of the agreement remain undisclosed.

The partnership with Getty appears to validate some of Perplexity’s prior utilization of Getty’s stock photography. Recent accusations of plagiarism from various news organizations prompted scrutiny of Perplexity’s practices.

Previous Scrutiny and Legal Challenges

Specifically, Perplexity was criticized for incorporating content, including a Getty photo, from a Wall Street Journal article. Questions arose regarding potential copyright infringement related to the image usage.

Furthermore, Reddit initiated legal action against Perplexity in October, alleging extensive and unauthorized scraping of user-generated content. Reddit highlighted the circumvention of technical safeguards to access this data. Reddit itself maintains a data licensing agreement with OpenAI.

Enhanced Image Display and Attribution

Perplexity states that this Getty deal will improve the display of images within its search results. Crucially, the company will now include proper attribution and links directing users back to the original content source.

Statements from Key Personnel

Nick Unsworth, Vice President of Strategic Development at Getty Images, emphasized the agreement’s recognition of the importance of proper attribution and consent in the context of AI applications.

Jessica Chan, Head of Content and Publisher Partnerships at Perplexity, stated that attribution and accuracy are vital for understanding information in the age of AI. She highlighted the collaborative effort to deliver answers through visual storytelling while maintaining transparency regarding content origin and creator.

Perplexity’s Defense Strategy

Perplexity’s focus on attribution is integral to its legal strategy. The company argues that its use of publisher content, even if behind a paywall or explicitly restricted from scraping, falls under “fair use” principles. This is based on the premise that publicly available facts are not subject to copyright protection.

Here's a breakdown of key aspects:

• Licensing Agreement: Perplexity gains rights to use Getty Images.
• Content Scraping Concerns: Addresses past allegations of plagiarism.
• Attribution: Improved image credits and links to sources.
• Legal Battles: Ongoing dispute with Reddit over data scraping.