Writers Tricks of the Trade SPRING 2017 ISSUE 2, VOLUME 7 | Page 32

M ISMANAGEMENT AT THE C OPYRIGHT O FFICE
A report from the Library of Congress Inspector General put Maria Pallante's time at the Copyright Office back in the news
Back in October, 2016in an unprecedented move at the US Copyright Office, Carla Hayden,
supposedly egged on by Google, suddenly shifted Maria Pallante, who was Register of Copyrights from
June 1, 2011, through October 29, 2016, to a senior adviser position. Pallante, a “defender” of the
creative community, quit two days after the job move.
This all caused quite an uproar. Artist Rights Watch denounced the appointment and subsequent
“firing,” and the Wall Street Journal criticized the move as further proof of a copyright takeover by
Google. Don Henley labeled Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden as “anti-copyright.” In addition, two
former US Copyright Office heads wrote a scathing letter questioning Carla Hayden’s intent behind the
re-assignment as well as writing to the House and Judiciary Committees to consider the case.
It all sounded pretty damning.
But, is there another side to the story?
It turns out that apparently the US Copyright Office threw away $11.6 million on a new computer
system according to an unreleased Inspector General’s report.
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W RITERS ’ T RICKS OF THE TRADE