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Trump fires U.S. copyright Chief after report criticizes AI training practices
Just days before her dismissal, Perlmutter’s office released a major report that said AI companies can’t freely use online content to train models unless they get proper permission from creators.
The Copyright Office’s report warned that using copyrighted works without permission could be illegal. This challenges the tech industry's argument that AI training qualifies as “fair use” — a legal loophole they’ve leaned on to avoid licensing content.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has fired two top copyright officials, including the head of the U.S. Copyright Office, Shira Perlmutter, shortly after the agency warned tech companies not to use copyrighted content for training AI without permission, CBS News reported.
He also removed Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, who had appointed Perlmutter in 2020. These back-to-back firings have sparked concerns that Trump is trying to influence copyright laws to favor certain tech interests, especially those connected to Elon Musk.
Why were they fired?
As per the media reports, just days before her dismissal, Perlmutter’s office released a major report that said AI companies can’t freely use online content to train models unless they get proper permission from creators. This stance challenges how companies like OpenAI, Meta and Musk’s xAI train their AI tools, often using massive online datasets without clear licenses.
Congressman Joe Morelle called the firing political and said it came just after Perlmutter refused to support Musk’s position. He said there was no legal reason to fire her and accused Trump of interfering with a neutral government office. The Copyright Office’s report warned that using copyrighted works without permission could be illegal. This challenges the tech industry's argument that AI training qualifies as “fair use” — a legal loophole they’ve leaned on to avoid licensing content.
On the other hand, India too is currently debating similar copyright questions. The government has set up a committee to study how AI should be regulated under the Copyright Act of 1957. Some Indian publishers have already taken OpenAI to court, claiming it used books and news articles without permission to train its models.
SPOTLIGHT
At the Storyboard18 DNPA Conclave 2025, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw spotlighted the critical role of traditional media in an evolving digital landscape. He emphasized that such gatherings can aid the govt in formulating more effective policies for a balanced and sustainable media ecosystem.
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