Posts Tagged: "Shira Perlmutter"

The American Law Institute (ALI) is under fire this week for its Restatement of Copyright Law project, which it was set to vote on during its Annual Meeting this week. According to the Copyright Alliance, ALI members on June 8 approved many sections that will make up the first three chapters of the Restatement. In 2019, members of Congress sent a letter expressing serious concerns over the project. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Representatives Ben Cline (R-VA), Martha Roby (R-AL), Theodore Deutch (R-FL) and Harley Rouda (D-CA) sent a letter to ALI stating that laws created through federal statute like copyright are “ill-suited for treatment in a Restatement” and threaten to muddle the law. The U.S. Copyright Office, the American Bar Association (IP Law Section) and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office raised similar concerns.

Yesterday, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced that Mary Critharis has been appointed as the USPTO’s Acting Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs. According to the announcement, Critharis will serve in the role while the USPTO continues the process of identifying a permanent replacement for Shira Perlmutter, who was the Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs for the past eight years. Last month, Perlmutter was chosen by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden to be the 14th U.S. Register of Copyrights. 

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced today that Shira Perlmutter, the Office’s Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs, has been chosen by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden to be the 14th U.S. Register of Copyrights. Maria Strong has been serving as Acting Register since January 2020, after former Register Karyn Temple left the position in December 2019. Temple had been promoted to Register in March 2019 following two and a half years serving as Acting Register. Maria Pallante, the 12th Register of Copyrights, had been fired from the position in 2016.