The Trump administration has taken its fight to the US Supreme Court, seeking permission to terminate the director of the US Copyright Office, Shira Perlmutter. The move comes after a federal appeals court in Washington ruled that Perlmutter could not be unilaterally fired by President Donald Trump.
In January, a three-judge panel refused to reconsider the ruling, citing concerns over the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches. The full District of Columbia circuit court of appeals had also previously denied Perlmutter's request for an injunction against her termination.
Perlmutter, who has served as register of copyrights since 2020, claims she was fired in May due to disagreements with Trump over a report on artificial intelligence. However, Solicitor General John Sauer argues that despite the ties to Congress, Perlmutter "wields executive power" in regulating copyrights.
The case revolves around whether Trump's authority to install his own officials at federal agencies is absolute or subject to judicial oversight. While the Supreme Court has largely allowed Trump to fire officials, this case presents a unique challenge due to the Copyright Office's role within the Library of Congress.
A divided appeals court panel ruled that Perlmutter could retain her position while the case proceeds, citing concerns over Trump's alleged interference with legislative branch functions. In contrast, Judge Justin Walker, a Trump appointee, wrote in dissent that Perlmutter exercises executive power in various capacities.
Perlmutter's attorneys argue that she is an expert in copyright law, having served as register of copyrights since 2020. The case has implications for the administration's authority to install its own officials and the limits of presidential power over federal agencies.
In January, a three-judge panel refused to reconsider the ruling, citing concerns over the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches. The full District of Columbia circuit court of appeals had also previously denied Perlmutter's request for an injunction against her termination.
Perlmutter, who has served as register of copyrights since 2020, claims she was fired in May due to disagreements with Trump over a report on artificial intelligence. However, Solicitor General John Sauer argues that despite the ties to Congress, Perlmutter "wields executive power" in regulating copyrights.
The case revolves around whether Trump's authority to install his own officials at federal agencies is absolute or subject to judicial oversight. While the Supreme Court has largely allowed Trump to fire officials, this case presents a unique challenge due to the Copyright Office's role within the Library of Congress.
A divided appeals court panel ruled that Perlmutter could retain her position while the case proceeds, citing concerns over Trump's alleged interference with legislative branch functions. In contrast, Judge Justin Walker, a Trump appointee, wrote in dissent that Perlmutter exercises executive power in various capacities.
Perlmutter's attorneys argue that she is an expert in copyright law, having served as register of copyrights since 2020. The case has implications for the administration's authority to install its own officials and the limits of presidential power over federal agencies.
. I mean, Shira Perlmutter has been doing her job just fine since 2020, and now she's being targeted because of some disagreement over AI reports? That seems kinda petty to me. And what's with the Supreme Court stepping in on this one? Don't they have more important cases to handle? It's all just a big mess 
. And let's be real, if Trump wants to make changes, he should talk to Congress about it instead of trying to go around them 
. This whole thing is just a distraction from the real issues at hand 
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. And what's with the AI report drama? Can't we just focus on finding new tech solutions instead of politicizing everything? I'm curious to see how this plays out... 
... i mean, shira perlmutter is just trying to do her job as register of copyrights and trump decides he wants her gone? it's not like she's doing anything wrong, just exercising her authority to regulate copyrights, which is part of her role... and now the admin is trying to take that away from her? 
i mean, i'm not even kidding i had 2 scoops in one sitting lol anyway back to trump and his copyright office thing... idk man can't he just let shira do her job without all this drama? and btw has anyone tried that new ice cream shop downtown? i think they have a unique flavor of the month... 
it's interesting how perlmutter's role as register of copyrights has become a battleground – does she have some kind of executive power or is she just a figurehead? 
and what does this say about the balance between the branches of government? are we just gonna sit back and let one branch run roughshod over the others, or do we need to find a way to reign him in? 
... and now he's taking it all the way to the Supreme Court 
... what's next? is he gonna try to control everything in the country? 
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. Her position is not merely a administrative role but also carries significant weight in shaping US intellectual property policy. The implications for the administration's authority to install its own officials and limit presidential power over federal agencies are far-reaching and will likely have a lasting impact on governance structures 
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. It will be interesting to see how the Justices weigh in on this matter and what guidance they may offer for future administrations 
. I'm pretty sure even Marty Scorsese wouldn't make up a story like this! It's crazy that Trump is trying to fire her over some report on AI... what's next, firing the director of NASA because they used too much rocket fuel? 
The appeals court already said no way, but Trump's all like "I'll do what I want" 
and I was thinking, have you ever noticed how beautiful a sunset can be? Like, I saw these clouds that were literally on fire, but in a good way 
they're so good! Anyway, back to this copyright thing... I'm no expert, but isn't the whole point of having a register of copyrights just to make sure people are following the rules and respecting each other's work? Like, what happens if someone tries to just disregard those rules because they can?