Though you have copyright protection in a work the instant you create it, you might not be able to effectively enforce it. Timely registration of your copyrighted works is crucial to have your maximum protection under the law.

Without registering your works you cannot sue in a Federal court and without timely registration you will be ineligible for statutory damages or attorney’s fees and are limited to actual damages (the greater of what they gained or you lost). Without these awards available, you will be unlikely to pursue a copyright infringement case as the costs of suing would be far higher than any potential award.

If you think suing might be a tactic to explore, you need to register your works in a timely manner to ensure that option is available.