Penske Media, owner of Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Variety, has launched a lawsuit against Google, alleging the tech giant is exploiting its market dominance to leverage publisher content for AI-generated summaries without permission. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, claims Google's AI Overviews unlawfully use copyrighted journalism, leading to a significant drop in web traffic and affiliate revenue for Penske properties.
Penske argues that Google's AI Overviews appear in approximately 20% of searches linking to their sites, a figure expected to rise, and that affiliate revenue has decreased by over a third since 2024. Penske also claims that Google is forcing publishers to allow the use of their content in AI features or risk reduced visibility in search results. Google has rejected the claims, asserting that AI Overviews enhance search and increase content discovery.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and a permanent injunction against Google. The case highlights the growing tension between publishers and AI firms regarding content licensing and compensation. Other companies, such as Chegg, have also raised concerns about Google's AI outputs undercutting demand for original content.
