Donald Trump’s abrupt firing of the head of the U.S. Copyright Office has generated confusion and doubt over his ability to terminate her, and also speculation about the role that a long-awaited report on AI may have played in his action.

Shira Perlmutter, who had been register of copyrights and director of the Copyright Office since 2020, was informed over the weekend that she was fired, according to sources familiar with what happened. The White House on Thursday fired the woman who appointed her, Librarian Of Congress Carla Hayden, who was named to the post by President Barack Obama.

This morning, two men delivered a letter to the Copyright Office stating that Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, would be appointed the acting librarian of Congress, according to a source. They also showed a separate email stating that Brian Nieves, a Justice Department official, was appointed deputy librarian, and Paul Perkins,...