Washington: Shira Perlmutter, the now-dismissed U.S. Copyright Office director, has filed a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump and several top officials, asserting that her abrupt removal from office was unconstitutional and must be overturned.
In the complaint submitted Thursday to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Perlmutter claims her termination—delivered by email on May 10—violated federal law. The lawsuit argues that her position, which falls under the Library of Congress, is shielded from political interference and that only Congress has the authority to remove her from office.
“The termination of Ms. Perlmutter was blatantly unlawful,” the lawsuit states.
This legal battle is the latest in a series of high-profile confrontations between Trump and career federal officials, many of whom he has sought to oust since assuming office in January.
The White House has not issued a statement regarding the lawsuit, and both the Copyright Office and Perlmutter’s legal team have declined to comment publicly.
Perlmutter’s dismissal has already triggered political backlash. Democratic lawmakers argue that Congress intentionally designed the Copyright Office to operate independently of executive control to safeguard it from political manipulation.
The controversy intensified after the Copyright Office, under Perlmutter’s leadership, released a report on May 9 addressing the evolving legal debate over artificial intelligence and copyright law. The report raised critical questions about whether the use of copyrighted material by technology companies—particularly for training AI models—is legally protected.
The very next day, Perlmutter received her termination notice via email. The office officially confirmed her firing on May 12.
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Industry giants like OpenAI and Meta Platforms had previously expressed concern to the Copyright Office, warning that paying royalties for content used in AI training could stifle the rapidly growing American AI sector.
In the lawsuit, Perlmutter has asked the court to block Trump’s appointees from stepping into acting leadership roles and to formally recognize her as the legitimate director of the U.S. Copyright Office.
The Supreme Court, meanwhile, ruled on Thursday to allow Trump’s dismissal of two Democratic members of federal labor boards to remain in effect while their legal appeals proceed. That case could influence the broader legal context surrounding the president’s authority over independent federal agencies.
