Judge Denies Fired Register of Copyrights' Longshot Bid to Keep Her Job
The decision is a major blow to Shira Perlmutter's bid for a swift reinstatement and leaves the leadership of the Copyright Office in limbo.
Latest
The Words & Money Weekly Newsletter: August 15, 2025
As we ease into the homestretch of summer, Words & Money will be on vacation next week. We'll still send a newsletter, though perhaps slightly abbreviated. And we look forward to coming back refreshed and ready for a busy fall, which will include the debut of our podcast
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending August 15, 2025
Court Wipes Out Florida's ‘Overbroad’ Book Banning Law
In a massive win for the freedom to read, judge Carlos E. Mendoza on August 13 found Florida state law HB 1069’s blanket ban on any materials that describe sexual content in school libraries to be unconstitutional.
Trump Administration Targets the Smithsonian
In an August 12 letter, Trump officials announced a plan to review the venerable institution’s “museums and exhibitions” to ensure “alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism."
The Words & Money Weekly Newsletter: August 8, 2025
As we enter the homestretch of summer, we're taking a bit of a break for the next two weeks. We'll be sending slightly abbreviated newsletters, but rest assured we have a host of new features and original reporting ready to roll, and we will be debuting
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending August 8, 2025
Fired Register of Copyrights Files Emergency Motion to Keep Her Job as Court Outlines Next Steps
The move comes after a narrow July 30 order in which federal judge Timothy Kelly held that Perlmutter had failed to show that her firing was causing her "irreparable harm."
The Words & Money Weekly Newsletter: August 1, 2025
In the news this week, the Independent Publishers Association has become an affiliate of the American Library Association, another step forward in the growing relationship between libraries and indie publishers. A federal judge has declined to reinstate fired register of copyrights Shira Perlmutter, suggesting that the Copyright Office can manage
The Independent Book Publishers Association Becomes an ALA Affiliate
“In today’s complex landscape, coalition-building across the publishing and library communities is more important than ever,” said Andrea Fleck-Nisbet, IBPA CEO, in a statement.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending August 1, 2025
Fired Register of Copyrights Will Appeal after Court Declines to Reinstate Her
Shira Perlmutter failed to show that "the existence of the Copyright Office is at stake, or that her position will likely be irreparably changed without an injunction," judge Timothy Kelly held in a July 30 order denying a motion to block her May 10 firing.
The Words & Money Weekly Newsletter: July 25, 2025
Among the headlines this week, the Trump administration released its long anticipated AI Action Plan, which notably fails to even mention the word copyright. A week after releasing a strategic plan, ALA leaders stepped up to clarify a new policy. And among the headlines in our weekly media roundup, The
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending July 25, 2025
ALA Clarifies That It Is Not Closing Access to Its Executive Board Meetings
It's only been a week since the American Library Association released its most recent strategic plan, but association leaders this week found themselves having to tamp down a brewing controversy. Contrary to language in an email announcing its strategic plan last week, ALA leaders have now confirmed that
Trump Administration's 'AI Action Plan' Snubs Creators
In the July 23 report, the Trump administration suggests that American tech companies "must be unencumbered by bureaucratic red tape," to win an AI arms race with China. But the report is also notable for what's not in it—any discussion of copyright or the impact of AI on the creative economy.