In a scene straight out of a political thriller, two men arrived at the U.S. Copyright Office in Washington, D.C. earlier this week claiming to be newly appointed leaders under the Trump administration. Armed with paperwork they said proved their official status, they tried to gain access to the building—but left without entry.
The incident, confirmed by multiple sources, unfolded just days after two major firings: Shira Perlmutter, the head of the Copyright Office, and Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress. Both dismissals came on the heels of a controversial report about artificial intelligence and copyright—a topic that’s rapidly becoming one of the most contentious legal battlegrounds in tech and policy circles.
Surprise Visit Raises Eyebrows
The two men identified themselves as Brian Nieves, reportedly the new Deputy Librarian of Congress, and Paul Perkins, who claimed to be the Acting Director and Register of the Copyright Office. The pair presented documents to building security but departed before gaining access.
Capitol Police sources denied escorting them out or blocking entry, though others familiar with the situation maintain the men were prevented from entering. The confusion has only added fuel to a firestorm of legal and constitutional questions swirling around the leadership of key government agencies tied to intellectual property and AI regulation.
DOJ Confirms the Appointments—but Questions Remain
Following media inquiries, the Department of Justice confirmed that both Nieves and Perkins had, indeed, been appointed to lead the Copyright Office and were current DOJ officials. However, the DOJ refused to say whether they had tried to physically take over the office on Monday. The White House, for its part, has remained silent on the matter.
The timing of these appointments and the abrupt personnel changes have left many questioning whether due process was followed—and whether the executive branch even has the authority to make such changes within the Library of Congress, an institution traditionally independent from the White House.
AI Report Triggers Fallout
The firings appear to be linked to a bombshell report released by Perlmutter’s office just one day before she was dismissed. The 108-page draft report raised legal concerns about the use of copyrighted materials to train generative AI systems. While acknowledging that fair use might apply in some cases, the report drew a hard line against large-scale, commercial exploitation of copyrighted works for AI development.
“Using vast amounts of copyrighted content to create AI-generated material that competes directly with the originals—especially when access to that content may be unauthorized—goes well beyond what fair use allows,” the report stated.
The implications were immediate. Tech giants, including those currently facing legal battles over the use of protected works to train AI tools, took notice. The New York Times, which is suing OpenAI for such practices, reiterated its stance that such use does not fall under fair use exemptions.
Legal Experts and Lawmakers Push Back
Critics say Perlmutter’s firing is not only suspect but may also be illegal. Legal experts argue that the president does not have the authority to remove the Register of Copyrights, a role appointed by the Librarian of Congress.
Meredith Rose, counsel at the public interest group Public Knowledge, put it bluntly: “The president has no more power to fire the Register than I do.”
Representative Joe Morelle, the top Democrat overseeing the Library of Congress, called the move “a brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis.” He suggested Perlmutter was removed because she resisted political pressure to greenlight AI data mining efforts by powerful tech allies.
Power Struggles at the Library of Congress
Adding to the upheaval, the Trump administration also replaced Carla Hayden, a widely respected figure who made history as the first Black woman to serve as Librarian of Congress. Her removal drew sharp criticism, particularly given that only the Librarian is authorized by law to appoint or remove the Register of Copyrights.
Before Hayden’s departure, her deputy Robert Newlan had been named acting Librarian. In an internal email sent to staff on Monday, Newlan insisted that no official leadership change had been approved by Congress. “We have not received direction on how to proceed,” he wrote, continuing to sign off as the acting Librarian of Congress.
However, the paperwork carried by Nieves and Perkins reportedly claimed that Todd Blanche—Trump’s former personal defense attorney and now deputy attorney general—was now the Acting Librarian. The DOJ later confirmed Blanche’s new role, further complicating the line of authority.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Hayden’s dismissal, alleging “concerning conduct related to DEI [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion] policies” at the Library of Congress. But critics view this as a thinly veiled excuse for political interference in an independent cultural institution.
