The Trump administration is pushing forward with an emergency appeal to the US Supreme Court, seeking permission to fire Shira Perlmutter, the director of the US Copyright Office. Just over a month after a federal appeals court blocked the move, citing violations of the separation of powers, the administration has filed a new request for the high court's approval.
Perlmutter was fired in May by an email from the White House, claiming her advice to Congress on artificial intelligence was deemed unacceptable. However, she maintains that she was terminated due to opposition from President Donald Trump. The dispute centers around the authority of the Register of Copyrights and Director at the US Copyright Office, who advises Congress on copyright issues.
A divided three-judge panel ruled in Perlmutter's favor, stating that her actions were statutorily authorized and fell within the bounds of executive power. However, Judge Florence Pan argued that Trump's alleged interference with the work of a legislative branch official is "significantly different in kind and in degree" from previous cases.
The administration claims that Perlmutter exercises executive power in various ways, while her attorneys argue she is a renowned copyright expert who has served as register since 2020. The case highlights ongoing tensions between Trump's authority to install officials at the head of federal agencies and court challenges to his actions.
In this instance, the Library of Congress falls within the domain of the executive branch, but Perlmutter's role is distinct from other federal agencies. The administration's request to fire her raises questions about the separation of powers and the limits of presidential authority over executive branch officials.
Perlmutter was fired in May by an email from the White House, claiming her advice to Congress on artificial intelligence was deemed unacceptable. However, she maintains that she was terminated due to opposition from President Donald Trump. The dispute centers around the authority of the Register of Copyrights and Director at the US Copyright Office, who advises Congress on copyright issues.
A divided three-judge panel ruled in Perlmutter's favor, stating that her actions were statutorily authorized and fell within the bounds of executive power. However, Judge Florence Pan argued that Trump's alleged interference with the work of a legislative branch official is "significantly different in kind and in degree" from previous cases.
The administration claims that Perlmutter exercises executive power in various ways, while her attorneys argue she is a renowned copyright expert who has served as register since 2020. The case highlights ongoing tensions between Trump's authority to install officials at the head of federal agencies and court challenges to his actions.
In this instance, the Library of Congress falls within the domain of the executive branch, but Perlmutter's role is distinct from other federal agencies. The administration's request to fire her raises questions about the separation of powers and the limits of presidential authority over executive branch officials.
. I mean, Trump fires Perlmutter outta nowhere and then tries to appeal to the Supreme Court? It's like he thinks no one's watching 
. But seriously, if anyone knows about copyright law, it's a copyright expert like Perlmutter. What exactly was she supposed to do wrong that would warrant termination? The fact that she's being appealed again just shows how out of touch Trump is with the system. It's gonna be interesting to see how this all plays out...
. I mean, who gets fired via email for giving advice that doesn't align with the White House? 
It just seems so... impersonal 
. And what's even more wild is that they're trying to fire someone just because they don't like their opinion on AI 
. Like, isn't that kinda what we want from our officials - to give us honest advice? 
. I mean, it does seem like a big deal when you consider all the times Trump's tried to flex his authority 
. But at the same time, you gotta wonder if he was just trying to get rid of someone who wasn't playing ball 
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. I mean, do we want one person calling all the shots? Or do we need a system where everyone's got a say? 
. Otherwise, who knows what would happen if someone in the White House decided to fire whoever they wanted without any consequences? 
. It's like they're trying to test the limits of what the courts will allow them to do.
. It's not like Perlmutter is some ordinary employee who can be fired willy-nilly, she's a expert in her field and has been doing this job for years 
. This whole thing just goes to show how out of control things have gotten under Trump... anyway, fingers crossed the Supreme Court sees it this time 
and now the supreme court is getting involved too... this whole thing just reeks of corruption 
i mean, perlmutter's been doing her job as register of copyrights for years, no one's even questioned it until trump came along with his ego 
. can't believe trump thinks he can just fire someone w/o going thru proper channels. newsflash: you're not above the law, dude 
. sources needed on this one, btw 
.
, they're already getting blocked, now they wanna try again? like, what's next? they'll just keep firing people until someone says no? 
it's not about whether Shira Perlmutter is a great expert or whatever, it's about the fact that Trump is trying to bypass Congress and do his own thing. newsflash, dude: you're not above the law just because you're president 
. the court is basically saying "nope, sorry not sorry" 
. I think it's understandable that the administration wants to move forward with their plans, but at the same time, you've got to respect the role of Congress in holding officials accountable 
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. Maybe we'll see a nuanced resolution to this dispute, or maybe it'll lead to further court challenges 
. One thing's for sure: this highlights just how delicate the balance of power can be in the US system 
. And now they're trying to appeal it again? It feels like they're pushing their luck 
.
. And what even is the point of trying to fire someone if you're not going to follow through with it? It feels like they're just trying to intimidate people into doing what they want 
. Can't we just focus on finding ways to make things work better instead of fighting over who gets to do what? 
Shira Perlmutter got fired by Trump, but it wasn't because she was doing anything wrong... or so she says 
. The fact that he just decided to fire her without going through the proper channels is super concerning. It's like he's trying to make a point, even if it means violating some basic rules of governance 
. If she was fired for no reason other than opposing Trump's views, that's not right 
this whole thing feels super fishy to me... like, why would they keep trying? didn't they learn that firing someone just because you disagree with them is a bad idea? 
. I mean, I get that politicians and bureaucrats are used to arguing with each other, but this is on a whole different level 
. Can we just get back to normal? 
It's getting out of hand.
... now the Supreme Court is stuck dealing with this mess and I'm over here thinking, "Can we please just get back to formatting my resume correctly 
"
It sounds like Trump is trying to get away with some pretty serious overreach, especially since Perlmutter was basically following her statutory duties as Register of Copyrights. I'm all for holding officials accountable, but come on, guys – you're not above the law just because you're the prez! 
This whole thing makes me think about how easily Trump can just do whatever he wants and then try to cover his tracks. It's wild