Perplexity revamped its revenue-sharing program with publishers, launching Comet Plus, a $5 monthly subscription granting access to partner content. The company allocates 80% of revenue to publishers, using a three-part system based on human engagement, search indexing, and agent activity. This new model contrasts with the existing ad-based Perplexity Publishers’ Program. Legal challenges from News Corp and other publishers highlight the complexities of copyright and AI content usage. Comet Plus aims to redefine monetization, particularly concerning bot traffic, which Perplexity's own assistant can monetize due to its ability to bypass website restrictions. This approach, while potentially legally ambiguous, reflects a common industry practice of "ingest first, sort it out later". Perplexity's model faces the challenge of convincing users to pay for Comet Plus; failure could lead to a reversion to an advertising-based model. The success hinges on user adoption and whether the value proposition justifies the subscription cost. The model also exposes a contradiction: valued content is accessed even without publisher participation in Comet Plus. Ultimately, the legal and financial implications of this approach remain to be seen.