Copyrights: For Songwriters - Registering Copyrights vs. Registering with ASCAP/BMI/SESAC

One of the questions we frequently receive is whether it is necessary for a songwriter to register his/her songs with both ASCAP (or BMI or SESAC) and the Copyright Office. One of the main things about the U.S. Copyright Office application/registration is that in the U.S. you need either a pending copyright application on file or an actual issued copyright registration certificate IF you have to sue someone for copyright infringement - depending on which legal jurisdiction you have to file your lawsuit in. So...in our experience it is better to file a copyright application sooner rather than later and it is not a question of either filing with ASCAP/BMI/SESAC or the Copyright Office; it is a matter of needing to do both.