A fond farewell after 32 years of service
July 2, 2019
The Copyright Agency recently farewelled a much-loved team member.
Data researcher Than Than Yee started with the Copyright Agency in December 1986, more than 32 years ago. She was the second employee after Michael Fraser, who was the CEO – an extraordinary achievement.
1986 was the year that the agency received its first substantial copyright licensing fee, of a bit more than $14 thousand dollars, from Macquarie University.
Than Than was employed (ironically) as a ‘temporary’ data entry clerk.
At first, she entered data by hand into ledgers, and then later she had to carry a computer and a monitor into different educational institutions to enter their photocopying data. Than Than is quoted in the book about the agency’s early history, Realising the Vision, saying “We had to enter whatever photocopying data they recorded. Some records were done in very bad handwriting. Others were not complete or just had an author’s or publisher’s name.”
Copyright Agency CEO Adam Suckling said, “Than Than has worked on pretty much every distribution we’ve ever had with grace, professionalism and warmth. I want to genuinely thank you for your years of service and congratulate you on a stellar career. I wish you all the very best, Than Than, for a joyful and well-earned retirement.”
Than Than described her team at the Copyright Agency as a family that she would miss greatly.
