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AI Startup Perplexity Demanded Alleged Trademark Infringement

Perplexity, the venture-backed start-up structure AI-powered search products, has actually been sued in federal court for apparently breaking another company’s hallmark.

In a grievance filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, attorneys representing a company called Perplexity Solved Solutions implicate Perplexity of infringing on its trademark rights by using the brand name “Perplexity.”

Perplexity Solved Solutions, a Plano, Texas-based firm established in 2017, used to register the Perplexity hallmark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in October 2021, according to the problem.

Perplexity Solved Solutions mainly sells HR and work environment partnership software application, including a combined control panel for HR analytics and a videoconferencing tool called Perplexity Meet. The company protected a hallmark registration by November 2022 and started promoting products on its site, perplexityonline.com, a domain that Perplexity Solved Solutions had registered in 2021.

Perplexity and counsel for Perplexity Solved Solutions did not respond as of press time. TechCrunch will upgrade the article if either celebration remarks.

The Texas business alleges that AI start-up Perplexity began infringing on its hallmark “in or around” August 2022 to promote its AI-powered search engine. The month prior – July 2022 – Perplexity had signed up the domain perplexity.ai, which the complaint likewise alleges is infringement.

“The [Perplexity] website presently located at the infringing domain prominently includes the Perplexity [hallmark],” the grievance reads,” [and] the infringing goods and services are extremely comparable to those provided by Perplexity [Solved Solutions] and appeal to a similar customer base. For instance, Perplexity [Solved Solutions’] ‘Perplexity Meet’ and accused’s ‘Perplexity Spaces’ both are software platforms that help with interaction and cooperation amongst associates in organizations and other organizations.”

Perplexity Spaces, which the San Francisco-based AI start-up introduced for enterprise clients in October, are centers with an adjustable AI assistant and ports to third-party platforms, apps, and file systems.

The problem alleges that Perplexity has actually “saturated the marketplace” with its infringing branding, including marketing across its various social networks accounts. The AI startup decreased to purchase the Perplexity trademark in September 2023 when offered, per the complaint, and instead chose to submit for its own trademark with the USPTO, which is still pending.

According to the grievance, Perplexity didn’t comply with a cease and desist letter from Perplexity Solved Solutions’ counsel, and it hasn’t withdrawn its pending trademark application – in spite of efforts to oppose the application before the USPTO’s trial and appeal board.

Attorneys for Perplexity Solved Solutions say that Perplexity’s usage of its trademark is likely to sow confusion.

“In truth, upon details and belief, customers already have actually been puzzled,” the out. “For instance, on many events, social media users have ‘tagged’ Perplexity in their posts about defendant’s infringing goods and services.”

The problem declares that Perplexity’s conduct violates laws, consisting of the Lanham Act – the U.S. federal law that controls trademarks and unfair competition. To name a few forms of legal relief, Perplexity Solved Solutions is looking for to bar Perplexity from using its trademark, in addition to the trademark “Perplexity AI,” pay damages, and transfer ownership of any domains that consist of Perplexity branding.

It’s the most recent courtroom headache for Perplexity, which is currently battling a claim submitted by News Corp’s Dow Jones and the NY Post over what the plaintiffs refer to as a “content kleptocracy.” Many other news sites have actually revealed concerns that Perplexity closely duplicates their material – just last October, The New York Times sent out the startup a cease and desist letter.

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