Trump Fires U.S. Copyright Office Director Amid AI Training Controversy
WASHINGTON — On May 10, 2025, President Donald Trump dismissed Shira Perlmutter, the Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office, just days after the office released a report questioning the use of copyrighted materials for training artificial intelligence (AI) models. The firing, reported by CBS News and Politico, has sparked accusations of executive overreach and concerns about the influence of tech mogul Elon Musk, a Trump ally heavily invested in AI development.
The Copyright Office’s report, part three of a multi-year study initiated in 2023, was released on May 8, 2025. It raised concerns about whether AI companies could rely on “fair use” defenses when training models on copyrighted content. The report noted, “It is an open question… how much data an AI developer needs, and the marginal effect of more data on a model’s capabilities,” suggesting that commercial use of vast copyrighted datasets to create competing expressive content may exceed fair use boundaries. It advocated for developing licensing markets where AI firms pay rights holders, a stance that could challenge the practices of companies like OpenAI and Musk’s xAI.
Perlmutter’s dismissal came via a White House email on May 10, stating her position was “terminated effective immediately.” This followed the firing of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on May 8, who had appointed Perlmutter in October 2020. Federal law stipulates that the Register of Copyrights is appointed and supervised by the Librarian of Congress, a position requiring presidential nomination and Senate confirmation, raising questions about the legality of Trump’s actions.
Representative Joe Morelle, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, condemned the move as a “brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis,” alleging it was “no coincidence” that Perlmutter was fired less than a day after her report appeared to resist Musk’s push for unrestricted access to copyrighted works for AI training. Musk, who owns xAI and recently endorsed eliminating intellectual property laws on X, has been a vocal advocate for loosening copyright restrictions to advance AI development. Posts on X echoed Morelle’s sentiments, with users like @missmohwhy lamenting the timing of Perlmutter’s firing after the report sided with content creators.
The White House has not commented officially, though Trump “ReTruthed” a post on Truth Social from attorney Mike Davis linking to the CBS News article, which paradoxically criticized the firing as enabling “tech bros” to exploit copyrights for AI profits. Democrats, including Morelle, argue the move undermines Congress’s authority over the Copyright Office, which operates under the Library of Congress and employs about 450 staff to manage copyright registrations and enforcement.
The controversy coincides with Trump’s aggressive AI agenda. On taking office, he announced a $500 billion private-sector joint venture with OpenAI, Softbank, and Oracle to bolster U.S. AI infrastructure. The Copyright Office’s report, which began under Perlmutter’s leadership with input from AI developers, actors, and musicians, could complicate these ambitions by emphasizing protections for copyright holders. Hollywood figures, including Ben Stiller and Paul McCartney, had previously urged Trump in March 2025 to safeguard copyright laws against AI exploitation, citing the industry’s $229 billion economic impact.
Critics like University of Colorado law professor Blake Reid called the report a “straight-ticket loss for AI companies,” while copyright expert Meredith Rose questioned whether its nuanced findings justified such a drastic response. The firings have raised broader concerns about the independence of U.S. copyright policy, especially as AI companies face ongoing lawsuits over copyright infringement. As the Trump administration continues its purge of perceived opponents, the future of copyright regulation and its intersection with AI remains uncertain.
Sources: TechCrunch, Politico, CBS News, Times of India, AP News, The Verge, Billboard, Music Business Worldwide, X posts