Trump Fires U.S. Copyright Chief Shira Perlmutter/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Trump has fired Shira Perlmutter, the nation’s top copyright official, just days after dismissing Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. Perlmutter had overseen high-profile reviews of AI and copyright protections. The firing sparked backlash from Democrats and concerns over political interference in cultural institutions.
Trump Fires Copyright Chief Amid AI Copyright Debate – Quick Looks
- Shira Perlmutter dismissed as U.S. Register of Copyrights.
- Follows firing of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden last week.
- Perlmutter led major AI study on copyright and human creativity.
- Copyright Office emphasized protection only for human-created works.
- Democrats criticize move as politically motivated and unprecedented.
- White House has not commented on the termination.
- Perlmutter previously held leadership roles in patent and copyright law.
Trump Fires U.S. Copyright Chief Shira Perlmutter
Deep Look
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a move stirring political and cultural controversy, the Trump administration abruptly fired Shira Perlmutter, the nation’s top copyright official, just days after ousting Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. The decision comes amid heightened scrutiny over artificial intelligence and intellectual property rights, which Perlmutter had recently addressed in a landmark study.
Perlmutter, who had served as Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office since 2020, received an email from the White House Saturday notifying her of her immediate termination, the office confirmed Sunday.
Her dismissal follows last Thursday’s removal of Carla Hayden, the first woman and African American to serve as Librarian of Congress. Hayden appointed Perlmutter in October 2020, and both officials were viewed by critics of the Trump administration as voices of independence and expertise in their respective roles.
Though no official reason has been given for Perlmutter’s firing, her recent leadership in a high-profile AI and copyright review may be a factor. The study, launched in 2023, explored whether AI-generated content should receive copyright protection — particularly when it is trained using existing human-made works.
In a January 2025 statement, Perlmutter reaffirmed the Office’s position that copyright protections hinge on the “centrality of human creativity.” She stressed that while AI-assisted work may be protected if driven by human input, content primarily generated by machines lacks constitutional eligibility for copyright.
“Extending protection to material whose expressive elements are determined by a machine … would undermine rather than further the constitutional goals of copyright,” she stated.
The Copyright Office processes roughly 500,000 applications annually and plays a pivotal role in protecting creative works across music, literature, film, and now, increasingly, AI.
Perlmutter’s firing prompted immediate backlash from Democratic lawmakers. Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), ranking Democrat on the House Administration Committee, denounced the move as an “unprecedented power grab with no legal basis.”
The White House did not respond to media requests for comment on Sunday.
Perlmutter is a seasoned expert in intellectual property law, with prior roles including Policy Director at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She previously worked at the Copyright Office in the late 1990s and is known for her academic and policy contributions to copyright law.
Her removal raises new concerns over politicization of independent government offices, particularly those tasked with shaping the evolving legal frameworks around emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
The timing of her dismissal — so soon after Hayden’s — suggests a coordinated effort by the Trump administration to reshape leadership at key cultural and regulatory institutions. While the administration has made no official statement linking the firings, critics view them as part of a broader pattern of replacing officials perceived to oppose Trump’s policy or political priorities.
Whether a new Register of Copyrights will shift the Office’s stance on AI remains uncertain. But the move signals a potential shake-up in how the federal government approaches the intersection of technology, creativity, and law under Trump’s continued leadership.
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