Shira Perlmutter—who was just thrown out of her position as register of copyrights and director of the US Copyright Office. This took place just days after she released her report on the new artificial intelligence (AI) technology and its impact on fair use law. The Trump administration has been actively attempting to remake federal agencies in its own image. They are doing this more insidiously by suddenly firing executives who would oppose their privatization agenda.
Perlmutter’s report, published just days before her termination, sharply criticized the use of AI, but fell short of condemning it entirely. Instead, it conveyed that the Copyright Office believed “government intervention would be premature at this time” regarding AI technologies. Employees at the Copyright Office have told us that her dismissal is a direct result of the report. This report takes on the most controversial topics at the intersection of AI and intellectual property rights.
Perlmutter, who was the Register of Copyrights since 2020, was an advocate for copyright reform. During her tenure, she worked on difficult questions related to copyright law. This was onerous enough in a time period that is decidedly being influenced by digital technologies and AI. Her dismissal is a sign of what the administration is really prioritizing. This action is consistent with ICER’s recent history of purging officials who would oppose its goals.
In a parallel development, Carla Hayden was ejected from her position as librarian of Congress. This happened only days before Perlmutter had to meet his own firing. These abrupt dismissals suggest a concerted effort by the Trump administration to streamline federal operations under its vision for governance. It involves a 2021 law that created a “Department of Government Efficiency” (Doge) which now leads this statewide restructuring. Their stated mission is to reduce federal spending and use AI to identify where the federal budget could be trimmed.
Tech industry heavyweights like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are influencing these moves. For instance, Elon Musk, whose own AI company stands to profit from this, has been lobbying publicly to get rid of all intellectual property protections. This backdrop further casts a shadow on the hotly debated future of copyright law. Rapid technological advancements are having an enormous impact on this conversation.
The administration of Donald J. This poses some significant issues with how these changes will impact the overall regulation of copyright, particularly as related to developing AI technologies. These changes have effects that go far beyond individual dismissals. They raise critical issues about how we promote innovation while protecting creators and other rights holders in an increasingly digital environment.