To protect your work (a copyright term of art for your book, article, software program, website, or other creation) you should file it with the U.S. Copyright office—especially in today’s online copy and paste world. While you have rights to your work when you create it, to strengthen those rights you should officially register it. When you register your work, you officially put everyone on notice that you are claiming ownership of the work and establish the date of creation.
To sue someone for infringement, you have to register the work. Registering soon after you create your work can preserve your right to statutory damages and attorneys' fees if you have to go to court.
Preserve enforcement of your rights
Be able to sue for statutory fines and attorneys' fees
Put the world on notice of your ownership of the work
