In a move that has sparked significant controversy, President Donald Trump has dismissed Shira Perlmutter, the Director of the U.S. Copyright Office, shortly after the release of a report scrutinizing the use of copyrighted materials in training artificial intelligence (AI) models.
The report, issued by the Copyright Office, questioned the legality of AI companies utilizing copyrighted content without explicit permission, challenging the industry’s reliance on the “fair use” doctrine. It concluded that while some AI training may be transformative such as for research or non-commercial purposes and commercial use of copyrighted materials to generate similar expressive content likely exceeds fair use boundaries .
Perlmutter’s termination came via an email from the White House, stating her position was “terminated effective immediately.” This action follows the recent dismissal of Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress who had appointed Perlmutter in 2020 . Critics, including Representative Joe Morelle, have condemned these firings as politically motivated, suggesting they are linked to Perlmutter’s resistance to approving the use of copyrighted works by AI companies associated with Elon Musk.
The incident underscores the growing tension between regulatory agencies and Big Tech over AI development practices, particularly concerning the use of copyrighted materials in training AI systems. As the debate over fair use and intellectual property rights intensifies, the creative industry and policymakers are closely monitoring the implications of such administrative decisions on the future of AI and copyright law.
