Over the weekend, President Trump attempted to terminate the Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office, Shira Perlmutter, an action beyond his power as president. The executive branch has no legal authority to terminate the Register of Copyrights because the role is based solely in the congressional branch – a co-equal branch of government. President Trump also recently terminated the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, the first Black Librarian in the institution’s history. Public Knowledge condemns these baseless attacks and urges Congress to both immediately restore access to Register Perlmutter so that she can continue doing her job, and to hold the executive branch accountable for its flagrant lawlessness.
The following can be attributed to Meredith Rose, Senior Policy Counsel at Public Knowledge:
“The president has as much legal power to fire the Register of Copyrights as I do, which is to say: none. The Register of Copyrights is hireable and fireable only by the Librarian of Congress, and does not report to the president or the executive branch in any capacity.
“The termination of Dr. Carla Hayden, a pillar of the community and a dedicated public servant and steward of the Library of Congress, was likely within the president’s power, but we need to be clear about the reasons for her firing. According to a spin-off of the American Accountability Foundation – an organization whose primary purpose appears to be making target lists of civil servants – Dr. Hayden was ‘woke.’ She was also the first Black person, and the first woman of any race, in the role. Anyone who thinks these things are unconnected lives in a state of ignorance.
“The Library of Congress, its collections, and the work being done under its leadership is the envy of the world. The role of the Library is to preserve, celebrate, and steward our centuries-long cultural heritage, not to satisfy the whims of any one individual or industry seemingly determined to shape it to their own ends. Its expertise, its staff, and its collections – all of which belong to the public – must be protected.
“So here’s our statement on this clearly illegal termination of Shira Perlmutter: No, the president cannot legally fire the Register of Copyrights. In the real world, experts argue about difficult questions; experts disagree in good faith; and civil servants’ expertise matters more than how fast and how far they can lower themselves to kiss the boots of those in power. Carla Hayden was fired because she is Black, and Shira Perlmutter remains the Register of Copyrights – no matter what anyone says.”
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