Perplexity Strikes Multi-Year Licensing Deal with Getty Images

Why It Matters

Securing a licensed image source helps Perplexity address mounting copyright concerns and bolsters the credibility of its AI search product, while illustrating a growing industry shift toward formal content partnerships to mitigate legal risk.

Summary

Perplexity, an AI‑powered search startup, has signed a multi‑year licensing agreement with Getty Images that permits the company to display Getty’s stock photos in its search and discovery tools with proper attribution and links to the original source. The deal, which builds on a year‑long informal relationship and a revenue‑sharing Publishers’ Program, is not a traditional lump‑sum license because Perplexity does not train its own foundational models. It formalizes the use of Getty images after the startup faced plagiarism accusations, including a high‑profile incident involving a Wall Street Journal article. The agreement arrives as Perplexity confronts broader legal challenges, such as Reddit’s lawsuit alleging unlawful data scraping.