Petition to Reinstate Shira Perlmutter as Register of Copyrights

Last Saturday, the White House abruptly fired Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter, a renowned expert with deep knowledge of the importance of copyright to authors. In her place, the White House is attempting to install an administration official with no apparent copyright expertise.

The livelihoods of writers and other creatives are protected by copyright. Don’t let the administration take over copyright policy—it’s illegal and puts the very foundations of our creative economy at risk.

We have drafted a petition urging Congress to stop this power grab and restore Register Perlmutter to her position. Read and sign our petition below.

Dear Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Durbin, Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Schiff, Chairman Jordan, Ranking Member Raskin, Chairman Issa, Ranking Member Johnson, Chairman McConnell, Ranking Member Padilla, Chairman Steil, and Ranking Member Morelle:

We, the undersigned, are authors, creators and organizations representing professionals from across the creative industries in the United States whose livelihoods depend on the protections of copyright law.  We write to express our deep dismay over the White House’s purported firing of Shira Perlmutter as Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office, on the heels of firing the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden. 

Register Perlmutter is an extremely well-respected, nonpartisan copyright expert who has ably carried out her statutory responsibility to provide unbiased advice to Congress on copyright law and policy.  By firing such a highly qualified, respected, and effective Register, much less attempting to replace her with someone who has no expertise in the field, the Administration has improperly interfered in the functions of a nonpartisan Legislative Branch agency, one that operates under the direction of Congress, not the Executive Branch.  It is a shocking, disrespectful abuse of authority.  We strongly urge Congress to stop this attempted overreach and immediately restore Register Perlmutter to her position.

As you know, the Copyright Office is part of the Library of Congress.  The Register is appointed by the Librarian of Congress, not the President.  Unlike Executive Branch agencies, the Office does not serve the interests of the administration but is charged by law with “[a]dvis[ing] Congress on national and international issues relating to copyright” (emphasis added).  As part of that role, it provides impartial expert advice to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, including by conducting studies and publishing reports on copyright matters on which Congress may be considering legislation.  The Registers of Copyright have always worked closely with committee leadership and other members of Congress from both parties.  This relationship has been vital to Congress’s enactment of legislation that has made the U.S. creative industries the envy of the world and an engine of a significant part of the nation’s economy.

Now, however, the White House has attempted to usurp Congress’s authority over its own Library by replacing both the Librarian and the Register with Administration officials who lack any expertise in the relevant fields.  And it has done so, we understand, without even notifying congressional leadership.  Regardless of party, members of Congress should be deeply troubled by this action, which, if allowed to stand, will undermine public trust in the Copyright Office’s independence for years to come.  Moreover, it will give future administrations license to exert control over matters that the law places squarely within the domain of Congress.

We implore you to act to reverse this unlawful power grab and reinstate Shira Perlmutter as Register of Copyrights.

Submit the form below to sign the petition.

The petition will be delivered to the following members of Congress:

• Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary
• Senator Dick Durbin, Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary
• Senator Thom Tillis, Chairman, Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Committee on the Judiciary
• Senator Adam Schiff, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Committee on the Judiciary
• Representative Jim Jordan, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary
• Representative Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary
• Representative Darrell Issa, Chairman, Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet, Committee on the Judiciary
• Representative Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet, Committee on the Judiciary
• Senator Mitch McConnell, Chairman, Committee on Rules and Administration
• Senator Alex Padilla, Ranking Member, Committee on Rules and Administration
• Representative Bryan Steil, Chairman, Committee on House Administration
• Representative Joseph Morelle, Ranking Member, Committee on House Administration