Copyright is a form of legal protection given to creators of original works, such as literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, as well as certain other intellectual works. Copyright registration is the process of officially registering a work with the government to establish proof of ownership and to give notice to the public of the copyright claim. Copyright registration is not required in order to secure copyright, but it does provide several benefits, such as the ability to file a lawsuit for infringement and the ability to seek statutory damages and attorney's fees. 

In Europe, copyright registration is not required to secure copyright protection. Copyright protection is automatically granted to original works as soon as they are fixed in a tangible form, such as being written down or recorded. However, some countries in Europe do have a voluntary copyright registration system, such as the United Kingdom and Germany. In the European Union, the registration of a copyright work is not mandatory but it can be useful as evidence in court.