Perplexity AI Inc. won a reprieve from a court order that would have banned its Comet shopping bots from Amazon.com Inc. this week.
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals granted a bid from the artificial intelligence startup to pause a lower court order from taking effect on Tuesday. That order will remain on hold while the federal appeals court considers Perplexity's appeal.
Amazon sued Perplexity in November, accusing the startup of committing computer fraud by failing to disclose when Comet is shopping on a real person's behalf, and refusing to stop when asked by Amazon.
"We will continue to fight for people's right to choose their own AI," a spokesperson for Perplexity said. Amazon declined to comment.
US District Judge Maxine Chesney of San Francisco said it was likely that Perplexity was accessing users' Amazon accounts without the e-commerce giant's permission. She issued a temporary order last week requiring Perplexity to stop accessing password-protected sections of Amazon's systems.
Chesney suspended her order from taking effect for one week to give Perplexity time to appeal. The appeals court issued its ruling blocking the order late Monday, hours before the injunction would have taken effect.
The case is Amazon.com Services v. Perplexity AI, 26-1444, US Court of Appeals (9th Circuit).
Samsung Electronics Co. is winding down sales of its Galaxy Z TriFold smartphone after roughly three months on the market, suggesting the $2,899 device was always intended as more of a technological showcase than a cornerstone of the company's mobile lineup.
The Korean company will begin by halting sales in its home market, then discontinue business in the US once it clears remaining inventory, a company spokesperson said. The move had been anticipated: this month, Samsung's website stopped teasing future restocks of the bleeding-edge foldable, which has two hinges and unfurls into a large 10-inch tablet. It now simply says the TriFold is "sold out."
Buyers have successfully managed to find stocks at Samsung Experience Stores in Frisco, Texas and Queens, New York in recent days, according to reports on social media and Reddit, indicating that at least some units remain available for now.
Samsung introduced the device late last year as a showcase of its engineering prowess. But the device's cost immediately relegated it to a niche purchase for the most affluent early adopters. It debuted in South Korea on Dec. 12 at a price of 3.59 million won. A US release followed in January.
Samsung has hyped the expansive screen’s multitasking potential, though the device has its share of compromises. The TriFold was only available for purchase directly from Samsung. Mobile carriers and retailers never offered it to consumers — another hint of the TriFold’s short-lived fate.
In an interview last month, Won-Joon Choi, chief operating officer of Samsung’s Mobile Experience Business, said the company hadn’t decided on whether the TriFold will get a sequel, citing its manufacturing complexity. But some of the device’s core benefits — like a widescreen aspect ratio that’s ideal for media consumption — could come to Samsung’s less expensive foldables over time.
Meanwhile, Samsung has begun rolling out the Galaxy S26 Ultra, with a new Privacy Display and a range of new AI features.