Judge Weighs Injunction Against Perplexity in Trademark Suit

A California federal judge expressed uncertainty Thursday about temporarily blocking Perplexity AI Inc.'s use of “Comet” for its AI-powered browser while a trademark lawsuit proceeds.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers told attorneys she needs to better understand how Comet ML Inc. and Perplexity’s products work before deciding if there’s actual overlap. “If there’s no overlap and you’re just concerned about the future, then I can enjoin them to that space,” she told Comet’s counsel during an hour-long hearing in Oakland about the company’s request for a temporary restraining order.

Rogers floated an injunction that would allow Perplexity to continue beta testing ...