Donald Trump’s administration has fired Shira Perlmutter, the US Register Of Copyrights, at the Library of Congress, raising concerns in the music industry. Perlmutter was the highest-ranking copyright official and had connections with music industry lobbyists. Just before her dismissal, her team released a report discussing copyright and artificial intelligence (AI).
The report indicates that using copyrighted songs to train AI without proper licenses likely goes beyond acceptable “fair use” definitions in the U. S. It also warned that generating content similar to copyrighted works could harm the income of original creators. Organizations like Universal Music Group expressed fears that AI-generated music could flood the market, harming artists and disrupting platform algorithms.
Less than a day after the report’s release, Perlmutter was informed by the White House that her position was terminated, an action that Representative Joe Morelle suggested was linked to her refusal to support Elon Musk‘s request to use copyrighted materials for AI training. This firing followed the dismissal of Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress who appointed Perlmutter.
Legal experts noted that Perlmutter’s report thoughtfully addressed the relationship between copyright law and AI, warning against unlicensed training practices. This dismissal has sparked worries that the Trump administration favors AI growth over protecting creators’ rights. The music industry is already taking legal action against AI companies for unauthorized use of copyrighted materials, while prominent artists, including Sir Paul McCartney, are urging the administration to uphold creators’ rights.
