Perplexity overturns Amazon injunction on its AI shopping bot
An appeals court has lifted the preliminary injunction that prevented Perplexity's AI shopping tool in the Comet browser from accessing Amazon, saying Amazon's claim was insufficient. Amazon disagrees and is considering its next steps.
A US appeals court has overturned a preliminary injunction that barred the AI shopping tool in Perplexity's Comet browser from accessing Amazon. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that Amazon's claim under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) did not hold up and did not justify the injunction.
To prove a CFAA violation, Amazon had to show Perplexity intentionally accessed a computer without authorization, obtained information from a protected computer, and caused losses averaging at least $5,000 over a one-year period. The court reasoned that Comet requires users to direct its actions on Amazon. As a result, it is the Comet user who accesses Amazon's servers, not Perplexity itself. The court also said an injunction against conduct that likely does not violate CFAA or California's CDAFA would not serve the public interest.
Amazon told Engadget that it disagrees with the decision and is evaluating its next steps. The dispute began in November 2025, when Amazon sent Perplexity a cease-and-desist letter demanding that the AI browser be blocked from its online store. Amazon claimed the companies had agreed in 2024 to pause agentic shopping, but Perplexity broke the agreement by disguising Comet's AI bot as a normal Chrome browser. Amazon sued in March 2026 and obtained a temporary injunction shortly afterwards.
The appeals court ruling removes that injunction but does not close the case. Amazon can ask for a rehearing or petition the Supreme Court. Even if it does not, the original lawsuit will continue in the San Francisco federal court, where Amazon will have another chance to make its argument.
