What Perplexity Says About Inputs
Perplexity's Terms are clear about what rights YOU grant THEM:
"By submitting User Content, you grant Perplexity a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display such User Content."
This is a broad license that allows Perplexity to:
- Use your prompts and inputs for AI training
- Create derivative works from your content
- Sublicense to third parties
- No clear ability to opt out
What Perplexity DOESN'T Say About Outputs
Compare this to explicit language from competitors:
- OpenAI: "We hereby assign to you all our right, title, and interest, if any, in and to Output."
- Anthropic: "Subject to your compliance with these Terms, Anthropic hereby assigns to You all of its right, title and interest, if any, in and to the Outputs."
- Perplexity: [No equivalent clause]
| Feature | Perplexity | ChatGPT | Claude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output ownership clause | ✗ Silent | ✓ Explicit assignment | ✓ Explicit assignment |
| Input license to platform | ⚠ Very broad | ⚠ Broad (free tier) | ⚠ Broad (free tier) |
| Training opt-out | ✗ Unclear | ✓ Available (paid) | ✓ Available (paid) |
| Commercial use | ✓ Allowed | ✓ Allowed | ✓ Allowed |
| IP indemnification | ✗ No | ✓ Enterprise only | ✓ Enterprise only |
| Source citation | ✓ Built-in | ✗ Not native | ✗ Not native |
Perplexity's search-based approach creates unique copyright considerations:
The Human Authorship Requirement Still Applies
As with all AI outputs, the US Copyright Office position is clear: purely AI-generated content is not copyrightable. This applies to Perplexity outputs as well.
The Search Aggregation Problem
Unlike ChatGPT or Claude, Perplexity explicitly searches and aggregates content from web sources. This creates additional risks:
- Verbatim reproduction: Outputs may contain exact text from copyrighted sources
- Citation doesn't equal permission: Even with citations, reproducing substantial portions may infringe
- You bear the risk: Perplexity's Terms disclaim liability for content accuracy and legality
1. Defamation and Accuracy Risks
Perplexity may generate false statements about real people or companies. If you publish this content, YOU may be liable for defamation - not Perplexity.
2. False Citation Risk
Perplexity sometimes generates citations that appear legitimate but link to sources that don't actually contain the referenced content. Always verify before relying on citations for professional or academic work.
3. Third-Party Copyright Infringement
Because Perplexity aggregates web content, outputs may contain substantial copyrighted material. Using this in your own work could expose you to infringement claims.
4. Data Privacy Concerns
Inputting personal data, confidential business information, or client data into Perplexity grants them a broad license to use it. Consider data protection implications.
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Add Substantial Human Creativity
Never use Perplexity outputs verbatim. Rewrite, analyze, and add your own insights. This strengthens your copyright claim to the final work.
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Verify All Citations
Click through to every cited source. Confirm the source actually says what Perplexity claims. Don't rely on AI-generated citations for professional work.
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Fact-Check Everything
Perplexity can hallucinate facts, especially about people and organizations. Independently verify any factual claims before publishing.
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Avoid Confidential Inputs
Don't input trade secrets, client data, or confidential information. Perplexity's broad license means you're granting them rights to use this content.
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Document Your Process
Keep records showing how you transformed Perplexity outputs. This helps establish your authorship contribution if ownership is ever disputed.
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Use for Research, Create Independently
Treat Perplexity as a research starting point, not a content generator. Use it to find information, then create your content from scratch.
Can I use Perplexity outputs commercially?
Perplexity's Terms allow commercial use, but without explicit ownership assignment, your rights are less clear than with ChatGPT or Claude. Add substantial original content to strengthen your position.
Why doesn't Perplexity assign output ownership like ChatGPT?
Perplexity's search-aggregation model may complicate ownership claims since outputs incorporate third-party content. The silence may be intentional to avoid promising rights they can't clearly grant.
Can I copyright a Perplexity-assisted work?
You can copyright YOUR contributions - your original writing, analysis, and creative additions. Pure Perplexity output is not copyrightable. The more you add, the stronger your claim.
What if Perplexity outputs libel someone?
If you publish defamatory content from Perplexity, YOU may be liable. Perplexity's Terms disclaim responsibility for content accuracy. Always fact-check statements about real people.
Should I switch to ChatGPT or Claude for better terms?
For content creation where ownership matters, ChatGPT or Claude offer clearer ownership terms. Use Perplexity for research and information gathering where you'll create original content.
Does Perplexity Pro have better ownership terms?
As of our last review, Perplexity Pro doesn't add ownership assignment language. The paid tier offers better models and features, but the same ToS ownership gap applies.