Trump Fires US Copyright Head After AI Report on Fair Use

Former President Donald Trump abruptly fired Shira Perlmutter, the head of the U.S. Copyright Office, shortly after her office released a report questioning the legality of using copyrighted materials for training AI models without permission. The report cautioned against broad fair use claims by AI companies, emphasizing that commercial exploitation of copyrighted works without licensing crosses legal boundaries, and suggested voluntary licensing agreements as a preferable approach. Critics, including Representative Joe Morelle, view Perlmutter's firing as an unprecedented political move linked to her refusal to authorize wide-ranging fair use exemptions that would benefit AI firms like Elon Musk's xAI. The dismissal coincided with the firing of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, sparking concerns about executive interference in independent copyright governance amid ongoing debates over AI training data rights. Industry observers worry that the change in leadership could shift U.S. copyright enforcement toward weaker protections for copyright holders, affecting the future economics of AI development. This controversy highlights the complex balance between protecting intellectual property and fostering technological innovation as AI capabilities advance.