We'd love to partner directly with content creators. This is something we're thinking about a lot and are having conversations on how to go about it.
I will also personally do everything in my power to keep us from running ads on Phind. I want to keep Phind honest and authentic, and will do everything I can to make it a net positive for the internet.
I'm no lawyer, but the law is nuanced when it comes to copyright.
Fair use exists which permits usage of copyrighted content in certain situations.
I'm not saying that they aren't in violation, just that copyright doesn't automatically ban others from using your material - it typically (laws are different in every country) depends on how (and how much of) your material is used.
I'd love it if the BAT / Flattr / Coil style idea actually started working. Flattr failed to get attention from the actual users, but it could be revived to pay the website creators from "indirect visits" like using their content in phind or perplexity. (in addition to continuing the direct payments)
I will also personally do everything in my power to keep us from running ads on Phind. I want to keep Phind honest and authentic, and will do everything I can to make it a net positive for the internet.