https://www.wired.com/story/us-copyright-office-chaos-doge/ Skip to main content Wired SECURITY POLITICS THE BIG STORY BUSINESS SCIENCE CULTURE REVIEWS Wired Newsletters Security Politics The Big Story Business Science Culture Reviews More The Big InterviewMagazineSteven Levy's Plaintext ColumnEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED Consulting Newsletters Podcasts Video Merch Search Sign In Sign In By Kate Knibbs Politics Jun 27, 2025 10:20 AM No One Is in Charge at the US Copyright Office During a wild time for copyright law, the US Copyright Office has no one at the helm--and no one knows when that will change. * * * * WASHINGTON DC JUNE 13 A sign is displayed at the entrance to the U.S. Copyright Office on June 13 2025 in Washington DC. A sign is displayed at the entrance to the U.S. Copyright Office on June 13, 2025, in Washington, DC.Photograph: Kevin Carter/Getty Images Save Save It's a tumultuous time for copyright in the United States, with dozens of potentially economy-shaking AI copyright lawsuits winding through the courts. It's also the most turbulent moment in the US Copyright Office's history. Described as "sleepy" in the past, the Copyright Office has taken on new prominence during the AI boom, issuing key rulings about AI and copyright. It also hasn't had a leader in more than a month. In May, Copyright Register Shira Perlmutter was abruptly fired by email by the White House's deputy director of personnel. Perlmutter is now suing the Trump administration, alleging that her firing was invalid; the government maintains that the executive branch has the authority to dismiss her. Despite the firing, Perlmutter still characterizes herself as the Copyright Register. "Despite Mr. Perkins's claim that he is Acting Register of Copyrights, I remain Register of Copyrights and therefore am required by law to fulfill my above-described statutory obligations," she said in a declaration in May. But much of her lawsuit centers on how she's been rendered unable to effectively perform the duties of the office. As the legality of the ouster is debated, the reality within the office is this: There's effectively nobody in charge. And without a leader actually showing up at work, the Copyright Office is not totally business-as-usual; in fact, there's debate over whether the copyright certificates it's issuing could be challenged. The firing followed a pattern. The USCO is part of the Library of Congress; Perlmutter had been appointed to her role by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. A few days before Perlmutter's dismissal, Hayden, who had been in her role since 2016, was also fired by the White House via email. The White House appointed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who had previously served as President Trump's defense attorney, as the new acting Librarian of Congress. Two days after Pelmutter's firing, Justice Department official Paul Perkins showed up at the Copyright Office, along with his colleague Brian Nieves. According to an affidavit from Perlmutter, they were carrying "printed versions of emails" from Blanche indicating that they had been appointed to new roles within the Copyright Office. Perkins, the email said, was designated as Acting Register of Copyrights. In other words, he was Perlmutter's replacement. But was Blanche actually the acting Librarian, and thus able to appoint Perkins as such? Within the Library of Congress, someone else had already assumed the role--Robert Newlen, Hayden's former second-in-command, who has worked at the LOC since the 1970s. Following Hayden's ouster, Newlen emailed LOC staff asserting that he was the acting Librarian--never mentioning Blanche--and noting that "Congress is engaged with the White House" on how to proceed. In her lawsuit, Perlmutter argues that only the Librarian of Congress can fire and appoint a new Register. In a filing on Tuesday, defendants argued that the president does indeed have the authority to fire and appoint the Librarian of Congress and that his appointees then have the ability to choose a new Copyright Register. Neither the Department of Justice nor the White House responded to requests for comment on this issue; the Library of Congress declined to comment. Perkins and Nieves did not enter the USCO office or assume the roles they purported to fill the day they showed up. And since they left, sources within the Library of Congress tell WIRED, they have never returned, nor have they assumed any of the duties associated with the roles. These sources say that Congress is in talks with the White House to reach an agreement over these personnel disputes. A congressional aide familiar with the situation told WIRED that Blanche, Perkins, and Nieves had not shown up for work "because they don't have jobs to show up to." The aide continued: "As we've always maintained, the President has no authority to appoint them. Robert Newlen has always been the Acting Librarian of Congress." If talks are happening, they remain out of public view. But Perlmutter does have some members of Congress openly on her side. "The president has no authority to remove the Register of Copyrights. That power lies solely with the Librarian of Congress. I'm relieved that the situation at the Library and Copyright Office has stabilized following the administration's unconstitutional attempt to seize control for the executive branch. I look forward to quickly resolving this matter in a bipartisan way," Senator Alex Padilla tells WIRED in a statement. In the meantime, the Copyright Office is in the odd position of attempting to carry on as though it wasn't missing its head. Immediately after Perlmutter's dismissal, the Copyright Office paused issuing registration certificates "out of an abundance of caution," according to USCO spokesperson Lisa Berardi Marflak, who says the pause impacted around 20,000 registrations. It resumed activities on May 29 but is now sending out registration certificates with a blank spot where Perlmutter's signature would ordinarily be. Got a Tip? Are you a current or former government employee who wants to talk about what's happening? We'd like to hear from you. Using a nonwork phone or computer, contact the reporter securely on Signal at Kateknibbs.09. This unusual change has prompted discussion amongst copyright experts as to whether the registrations are now more vulnerable to legal challenges. The Copyright Office maintains that they are valid: "There is no requirement that the Register's signature must appear on registration certificates," says Berardi Marflak. In a motion related to Perlmutter's lawsuit, though, she alleges that sending out the registrations without a signature opens them up to "challenges in litigation," something outside copyright experts have also pointed out. "It's true the law doesn't explicitly require a signature," IP lawyer Rachael Dickson says. "However, the law really explicitly says that it's the Register of Copyright determining whether the material submitted for the application is copyrightable subject matter." Without anyone acting as Register, Dickson thinks it would be reasonable to argue that the statutory requirements are not being met. "If you take them completely out of the equation, you have a really big problem," she says. "Litigators who are trying to challenge a copyright registration's validity will jump on this." Perlmutter's lawyers have argued that leaving the Copyright Office without an active boss will cause dysfunction beyond the registration certificate issue, as the Register performs a variety of tasks, from advising Congress on copyright to recertifying organizations like the Mechanical Licensing Collective, the nonprofit in charge of administering royalties for streaming and download music in the United States. Since the MLC's certification is up right now, Perlmutter would ordinarily be moving forward with recertifying the organization; as her lawsuit notes, right now, the recertification process is not moving forward. The MLC may not be as impacted by Perlmutter's absence as the complaint suggests. A source close to the MLC told WIRED that the organization does indeed need to be recertified but that the law doesn't require the recertification process to be completed within a specific time frame, so it will be able to continue operating as usual. Still, there are other ways that the lack of a boss is a clear liability. The Copyright Claims Board, a three-person tribunal that resolves some copyright disputes, needs to replace one of its members this year, as a current board member, who did not reply to a request for comment, is leaving. The job posting is already live and says applications are being reviewed, but as the position is supposed to be appointed by the Librarian of Congress with the guidance of the Copyright Register, it's unclear how exactly it will be filled. A source familiar at the Library of Congress tells WIRED that Newlen could make the appointment if necessary, but they "expect there to be some kind of greater resolution by then." As they wait for the resolution, it remains an especially inopportune time for a headless Copyright Office. Perlmutter was fired just days after the office released a hotly contested report on generative AI training and fair use. That report has already been heavily cited in a new class action lawsuit against AI tools Suno and Udio, even though it was technically a "prepublication" version and not finalized. But everyone looking to see what a final report will say--or what guidance the office will issue next--can only keep waiting. You Might Also Like ... * In your inbox: Get Plaintext--Steven Levy's long view on tech * We bought a robot attack dog from Temu * Big Story: Bluesky is plotting a total takeover of the social internet * I joined every class action lawsuit I could find, and so can you * Special Edition: Who even is a criminal now? [undefined] Kate Knibbs is a senior writer at WIRED, covering the human side of the generative AI boom and how new tech shapes the arts, entertainment, and media industries. Prior to joining WIRED she was a features writer at The Ringer and a senior writer at Gizmodo. She is based in ... Read More Senior Writer * TopicsCopyrightDOGEDonald Trumpgovernment Read More The Best Mesh Wi-Fi Systems The Best Mesh Wi-Fi Systems Forget about patchy internet connections and dead spots in the house. These WIRED-tested multiroom mesh systems will get you online in no time. Simon Hill Here's the Biggest Reason to Buy a Mattress Online Instead of at a Store Here's the Biggest Reason to Buy a Mattress Online Instead of at a Store There are obvious trade-offs to buying a mattress in-store and online. But your decision may come down to key details of a brand's warranty. Julia Forbes The 24 Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now The 24 Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now Conclave, Deep Cover, and The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension are just a few of the movies you should be watching on Amazon Prime Video this week. Matt Kamen Fancy Airplane Seats Have Nowhere Left to Go&-So What Now? Fancy Airplane Seats Have Nowhere Left to Go--So What Now? Upper and business class cabins have expanded to the point where the top tier resemble hotel suites more than passenger pods. But what happens now airlines have no more room to offer? Jenny Southan The AI Backlash Keeps Growing Stronger The AI Backlash Keeps Growing Stronger As generative artificial intelligence tools continue to proliferate, pushback against the technology and its negative impacts grows stronger. Reece Rogers ICE Rolls Facial Recognition Tools Out to Officers' Phones ICE Rolls Facial Recognition Tools Out to Officers' Phones Plus: US feds charge alleged masterminds behind infamous forum, Scattered Spider targets airlines, and hackers open a valve at a Norwegian dam. Dell Cameron The Repairable Fairphone 6 Arrives, and Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked Is Up Next The Repairable Fairphone 6 Arrives, and Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked Is Up Next Plus: Dell officially replaces the XPS brand, Cambride Audio budget buds, and an HDMI buying boon. Julian Chokkattu The 28 Best Outdoor Deals From the REI Fourth of July Sale The 28 Best Outdoor Deals From the REI Fourth of July Sale Whether you need a tent, sleeping pad, rain jacket, or new pack, REI's Independence Day sale has something for everyone. OpenAI's Unreleased AGI Paper Could Complicate Microsoft Negotiations OpenAI's Unreleased AGI Paper Could Complicate Microsoft Negotiations The partnership between OpenAI and Microsoft in many ways hinges on the definition of artificial general intelligence, creating a tension that has spilled over into OpenAI research that has not been made public. Kylie Robison Persona 5: The Phantom X Brings the Series to Your Phone&-and It's Shockingly Good Persona 5: The Phantom X Brings the Series to Your Phone--and It's Shockingly Good The free-to-play game is the first time the JRPG is available on mobile, offering fans a quick fix with a few hidden costs. Megan Farokhmanesh Substack Is Having a Moment&-Again. But Time Is Running Out Substack Is Having a Moment--Again. But Time Is Running Out While star reporters continue to flock to Substack, subscription fatigue is only getting worse. Steven Levy So Long, Blue Screen of Death. Amazingly, You'll Be Missed So Long, Blue Screen of Death. Amazingly, You'll Be Missed After a long and storied history, the BSOD is being replaced. WIRED takes a trip down memory lane to wave goodbye to the iconic screen we all love to hate. Craig Grannell WIRED WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives--from culture to business, science to design. The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries. More From WIRED * Subscribe * Newsletters * Travel * FAQ * WIRED Staff * WIRED Education * Editorial Standards * Archive * RSS * Accessibility Help Reviews and Guides * Reviews * Buying Guides * Mattresses * Electric Bikes * Soundbars * Streaming Guides * Wearables * TVs * Coupons * Gift Guides * Advertise * Contact Us * Manage Account * Jobs * Press Center * Conde Nast Store * User Agreement * Privacy Policy * Your California Privacy Rights (c) 2025 Conde Nast. All rights reserved. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Conde Nast. Ad Choices Select international site United States * Italia * Japon * Czech Republic & Slovakia * * * * * *