Annual Report of the Register of Copyrights for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2009

摘要

The Office expected fiscal 2009 to present challenges in the aftermath of implementing new information technology systems and processes. The Office continued to work on resolving a lengthened processing time, reducing a growing number of claims in process, and staffing strategically at levels necessary to address the backlog of work. During the year, the Copyright Office focused on processing the outstanding backlog of copyright applications, particularly those submitted on paper forms rather than by e-Service. The Offices backlog reduction efforts focused on three key areas: achieving optimal staffing; improving information technology systems; and providing incentives designed to increase e-Service use. The Office added 17 new registration specialists in spring 2009 and began the hiring process for 16 more to come on board in early fiscal 2010. Those hired in 2009 became fully productive following participation in an accelerated training program. The Office also improved its technology, supporting the processing of serial publications in fall 2009, through a combination of new hardware installation and new software. By the end of the fiscal year, e-Service had become the predominant claims filing method, accounting for 60 percent of weekly filings, and the Office had succeeded in stabilizing the backlog.