‘Brazen power grab’: Trump fires Copyright Office head after AI report sparks suspicion

The Trump administration fired Shira Perlmutter, the Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office, just days after dismissing Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. The timing of Perlmutter’s termination, which was communicated by email, is concerning. Her office recently released a detailed report analyzing the legal issues surrounding using copyrighted material to train artificial intelligence systems.

The Copyright Office, which the Library of Congress manages, handles hundreds of thousands of copyright applications each year, provides guidance to Congress on intellectual property matters, and sets related regulations. Perlmutter, a lawyer with deep expertise in intellectual property law, had previously worked at the Patent and Trademark Office and the Copyright Office itself. Hayden had appointed her in October 2020, per Washington Post.

According to The Hill, the termination email read, “your position as the Register of Copyrights and Director at the U.S. Copyright Office is terminated effective immediately.” This is interesting because it comes after a report that goes against Elon Musk’s plan for AI.

Trump fires more federal employees

The report released by Perlmutter’s office, which was more than 100 pages long, explored the complicated legal questions about whether using copyrighted works to train AI systems could violate copyright law. The report pointed out several steps in developing generative AI that might involve actions that could be copyright infringement. It also highlighted whether such uses could be allowed under the legal principle of fair use.

While the report did not call for immediate government action, its release happened simultaneously with the administration’s push to use AI in government operations, particularly through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk. Musk, whose company xAI focuses on artificial intelligence, previously said he supports eliminating intellectual property laws entirely.

Perlmutter’s firing has been met with quick and strong criticism. Representative Joe Morelle, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, called the move a “brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis,” stressing that there was no clear legal reason for her termination. The American Federation of Musicians also criticized the firing, saying it would hurt the copyright community.

The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, defended Hayden’s dismissal by pointing to her support for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and the presence of books in the library’s collection that some consider “inappropriate” for children. Firing the Librarian of Congress, a position that usually does not change when a new administration takes over, is also unusual. The last time a newly elected president replaced the Librarian of Congress was in 1861.