0:42Shira Perlmutter, Copyrights Register and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office, participating in a session of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet at the Capitol, Sept. 27, 2023.Michael Brochstein/Sipa via AP
The Trump government on Monday urged the Supreme Court to affirm the president’s dismissal of the Copyrights Register, Shira Perlmutter, from her powerful role earlier this year within the Library of Congress, which oversees and enforces the copyright structure of the United States.
This request marks the newest appeal to the judges regarding President Donald Trump’s broad interpretation of presidential authority over the federal apparatus. In the coming month, the Supreme Court will deliberate on the president’s power to dismiss figures from autonomous federal agencies without reason; early in the upcoming year, it will also scrutinize the president’s influence over figures within the Federal Reserve.
Shira Perlmutter, Register of Copyrights and Director, U.S. Copyright Office, speaking at a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet at the Capitol, Sept. 27, 2023.Michael Brochstein/Sipa via AP
According to federal regulations, the Register of Copyrights is designated by and accountable to the Librarian of Congress, who is in turn appointed by the president for a duration of 10 years following confirmation by the Senate.
Trump terminated the Biden-selected Librarian, Carla Hayden, without justification shortly after assuming office, substituting her on an interim basis with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Subsequently, Blanche ousted Perlmutter.
The Library of Congress is seen on the second day of the federal government shutdown, Oct. 2, 2025, in Washington D.C.Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty
Perlmutter asserts that Blanche lacks the jurisdiction to dismiss her.
A federal appeals tribunal, in a 2-1 verdict, mandated Perlmutter’s reinstatement, determining that the positions of Librarian of Congress and Register of Copyrights are "legislative officers" rather than "executive officers" under the Constitution — both necessitating congressional involvement.
The government is appealing to the justices to reverse that judgment — at least temporarily — and, ultimately, to address the broader legal quandaries encompassing the status of the Library of Congress and its leaders.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
