Copyright chief fired by administration

Published: Sunday, May 11, 2025 at 8:48 pm

Trump Administration Fires Top Copyright Official, Shira Perlmutter

The Trump administration has ousted Shira Perlmutter, the Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office, in a move that follows the recent firing of the Librarian of Congress. The abrupt termination, announced via email on Saturday, has raised eyebrows given the importance of the Copyright Office in protecting intellectual property.

Perlmutter, appointed in October 2020, was responsible for overseeing the U.S. Copyright Office, which handles approximately half a million copyright applications annually, covering millions of creative works. Her departure comes amidst a broader pattern of the administration removing government officials perceived to be at odds with its agenda.

A key focus of Perlmutter's tenure was the intersection of copyright law and artificial intelligence. The Copyright Office recently released a report examining the use of copyrighted materials by AI companies to train their systems. This report, part of a larger study, considered input from a wide range of stakeholders, including AI developers and artists. Perlmutter emphasized the importance of human creativity in copyright protection, stating that extending protection to machine-generated content would undermine the goals of copyright.

The White House has not yet commented on the reasons behind Perlmutter's firing. Perlmutter, who holds a law degree and has a background in intellectual property, previously served as a policy director at the Patent and Trademark Office and worked at the Copyright Office in the late 1990s.

BNN's Perspective: While the administration's actions raise concerns about political interference in crucial government functions, it's important to acknowledge the complexities of copyright law in the age of AI. The Copyright Office's work is vital, and ensuring its leadership is competent and aligned with the evolving needs of the creative community is paramount. The sudden nature of these dismissals, however, warrants scrutiny and a clear explanation from the administration.

Keywords: Shira Perlmutter, Copyright Office, Trump administration, fired, Register of Copyrights, Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, copyright, intellectual property, artificial intelligence, AI, copyright law, U.S. Copyright Office, government officials, termination, creative works, copyright protection, human creativity, White House.

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