Over Saturation of the Image Market and the Future of the Still Image

Here is something I don't don't often get going about, but this one is a bit luny to not bring up.  So as the story goes a few  years ago I decided to do my part as a professional photographer and register my work with the copyright office.  So after reading up a bit and using some educated guesses as to how the whole was done, I put together my submission and sent it in.  Not wanting to send in 5 years of bad submissions, I sent just the one to see what happened.  And waited and waited, I grew older and more grey hair appeared.  And then 5 years later came the response!  5 YEARS LATER CAME THE RESPONSE!!!  Incredible!   Now this is not 1750 where I am sending it on a wooden ship to the some lost island in the Pacific, it is 2012.

 I was wondering if anyone else out there had the same or similar experience?  Is this the usual response time or did something unusual happen here?