Authors Guild Delivers Petition Against Perlmutter Dismissal to Congress

The Authors Guild delivered its petition objecting to the firing of register of copyrights Shira Perlmutter and requesting her reinstatement to 12 Congressional leaders last weekend. The letter was signed by more than 7,000 individuals and organizations, including the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses, Independent Book Publishers Association, National Book Foundation, and Society of Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators.

"Copyright is not just an economic engine; it is an engine of free speech, as the Supreme Court has said," said Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger, in a statement. "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."

The petition was delivered to:

• 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. 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