Congress Just Rushed Through a Disastrous Copyright Office Overhaul; Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), June 10, 2026

JOE MULLIN , Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF); Congress Just Rushed Through a Disastrous Copyright Office Overhaul; Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)

"In a voice vote earlier this week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6028, the “Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act.” The legislation is presented as a technical reorganization of some government agencies, but it’s much more than that. 

H.R. 6028 would fundamentally change the U.S. Copyright Office, and not in a good way. The bill removes the Library of Congress’ current supervisory role over the Copyright Office, transfers several powers directly to the Register of Copyrights, and makes the Register a presidential appointee, confirmed by the Senate. 

These changes would make an office that’s already hugely influential in copyright and tech policy much more political. EFF first explained why that’s a terrible idea when it came up nearly a decade ago. This bill, like the older one, weakens the few public-interest checks and balances that do exist.  We hope the Senate promptly rejects this bill."

BGOV Bill Analysis: H.R. 6028, Library, Copyright Appointments; Bloomberg Government, June 8, 2026

  Greg Trial, Bloomberg Government; BGOV Bill Analysis: H.R. 6028, Library, Copyright Appointments

"The librarian of Congress would be appointed by House and Senate leadership rather than the president under H.R. 6028, which also would make the head of the US Copyright Office a presidential appointee. 

The measure would move the US Copyright Office out from under the supervision of the Library of Congress to clarify its executive branch functions. It also would make the director of the Government Publishing Office a congressionally appointed position. 

While the Library of Congress is a part of the legislative branch, the librarian has been a presidential appointee since the position was established in 1802."

House Passes Bill to Move Copyright Office to Executive Branch; Bloomberg Law, June 8, 2026

Kyle Jahner

, Bloomberg Law; House Passes Bill to Move Copyright Office to Executive Branch

"The House passed a bill Monday that would largely divorce the Copyright Office from the Library of Congress, one step closer to granting the president the ability to appoint and fire the register of copyrights.

House lawmakers passed the Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act (H.R. 6028; BGOV Bill Analysis) by voice vote, sending the bill to the Senate. It would allow the president rather than the librarian of Congress to choose the register of copyrights and change how appointments are made for multiple legislative agencies."

A BILL MOVING THROUGH CONGRESS COULD CHANGE WHO CONTROLS THE US COPYRIGHT OFFICE. HERE’S WHY IT MATTERS FOR THE MUSIC BUSINESS.; Music Business Worldwide, June 4, 2026

MURRAY STASSEN , Music Business Worldwide; A BILL MOVING THROUGH CONGRESS COULD CHANGE WHO CONTROLS THE US COPYRIGHT OFFICE. HERE’S WHY IT MATTERS FOR THE MUSIC BUSINESS.

"The bill arrives in the middle of an ongoing fight over the US Copyright Office and the firing of its director.

In May 2025, the Trump administration fired top copyright official Shira Perlmutter, a day after her office released a report concluding that training AI on copyrighted works qualifies as fair use in some circumstances but not others.

The administration had first removed Carla D. Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, and installed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as acting Librarian, who then moved to replace Perlmutter with Department of Justice official Paul Perkins.

Perlmutter sued the administration, arguing that only the Librarian of Congress, not the President, has the power to appoint or remove the Register of Copyrights.

A federal appeals court reinstated Perlmutter in September 2025, and she remains in the role while the legal battle continues.

That fight turns on the same question Griffith‘s bill addresses: whether the Register of Copyrights is an executive or a legislative officer...

Running alongside the legislation is the unresolved Perlmutter case.

The Supreme Court declined to act on her firing in late 2025, leaving Perlmutter in place while it weighs related disputes over the President’s power to remove officials.

Both the bill and the lawsuit circle the same question – whether the Register answers to the President or to Congress.

Griffith says a Senate-confirmed Register with a fixed term would give the office steadier leadership and clearer oversight.

Critics counter that a presidential appointee would politicize copyright and AI policy, and could disrupt the registration and deposit systems the Library of Congress depends on."