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Congress Receives Authors Guild Petition to Defend Copyright Independence with More Than 7,000 Signatures
May 20, 2025
NEW YORK, May 20, 2025—In a powerful stand for creative independence, this past weekend the Authors Guild delivered its petition objecting to the firing of Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter and requesting her reinstatement. The letter, signed by more than 7,000 individuals and organizations from across America’s creative landscape, was sent to key members of Congress. The groundswell of support emerged in the immediate days following Perlmutter’s unprecedented dismissal by the White House, representing a unified front of creators defending the constitutional separation of powers.
The petition serves as a clarion call to Congress to defend its constitutional authority over copyright matters and protect the foundational principles that have made American creative industries the most vibrant and economically powerful in the world. At stake is nothing less than the integrity of the U.S. copyright system itself, as the Trump administration attempts to seize control of an independent Legislative branch agency that has provided Congress with nonpartisan expertise for generations.
Copyright forms the bedrock of our creative economy, enshrined in the Constitution to empower Congress to protect creators’ rights to earn from their work. This system supports a trillion-dollar industry while requiring specialized expertise to navigate complex legal and policy challenges. Replacing a distinguished copyright expert with someone lacking subject knowledge threatens not just individual creators’ livelihoods but America’s creative leadership globally. Independent copyright administration ensures policies develop from specialized knowledge rather than political calculations, preserving the balanced system that has nurtured American innovation for generations.
The petition has garnered support from prominent organizations, including the National Association of Science Writers, National Book Foundation, American Society of Journalists and Authors, American Society of Media Photographers, Dramatists Guild, Society of Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators, National Writers Union, Independent Book Publishers Association, Community of Literary Magazines and Presses, Concept Arts Association, National Association of Voice Actors, Grub Street, and numerous others representing authors, publishers, visual artists, scientists, and voice actors. Individual signatories include bestselling authors, academic researchers, journalists, and other professionals whose livelihoods depend on the integrity of copyright protection.
“Copyright is not just an economic engine; it is an engine of free speech, as the Supreme Court has said. This administration’s attempt to remove a renowned copyright expert, one of the most qualified people for the position of Register of Copyrights, from a Legislative branch agency, was not only an extraordinary overreach, but a serious misstep that we trust that Congress is stepping in to rectify,” said Mary Rasenberger, CEO of the Authors Guild. “Copyright is not and never has been a partisan issue—it’s about an enormously important part of our economy and democracy. The copyright industries contribute $2 trillion in value to the U.S. economy, provide 11.6 million U.S. jobs, and represent one of our largest areas of export, providing not only massive economic benefit, but an appreciation for democracy and American values around the world. All of this value emanates from Congress’s exclusive, bipartisan power to enact copyright laws.”
Representative Joseph Morelle of New York, Ranking Member on the Committee on House Administration, has already spoken out against the firing, stating: “This action once again tramples on Congress’s Article One authority and throws a trillion-dollar industry into chaos.”
The petition was delivered to twelve key congressional leaders, including:
- Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary
- Senator Dick Durbin, Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary
- Senator Thom Tillis, Chairman, Subcommittee on Intellectual Property
- Senator Adam Schiff, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Intellectual Property
- Representative Jim Jordan, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary
- Representative Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary
- Representative Darrell Issa, Chairman, Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet
- Representative Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet
- Senator Mitch McConnell, Chairman, Committee on Rules and Administration
- Senator Alex Padilla, Ranking Member, Committee on Rules and Administration
- Representative Bryan Steil, Chairman, Committee on House Administration
- Representative Joseph Morelle, Ranking Member, Committee on House Administration