The Salvation Army, for example, which feeds around 6, 000 hungry Russians every month in the winter, has had to waste tens of thousands of dollars in legal fights over registration, and the Catholic church has had trouble getting visas for its foreign clergy.

ECONOMIST: How free is free?

They say, look, this is part of our strategy now, but we're focusing more on voter registration and getting legal immigrants naturalized to become citizens and vote.

NPR: Immigration Issue Appears to Stall in Streets, Congress

Registration of a trademark does provide some legal presumptions, including the presumption that a mark is valid and enforceable in court.

FORBES: Gang Green: Rules Are Tightening. Don't Say Green If You Don't Mean Green.

Registration is tough, especially for charities dealing with such subjects as legal reform, the environment, or civil liberties.

ECONOMIST: Russia

In addition to its legal services, the firm registered as an agent of a foreign principal under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (FARA) as well as the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) to press the Kuwaiti detainees' cause on Capitol Hill.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Gitmo's guerilla lawyers

"Reported rates of suicide in other parts of India are low because identification of suicides is difficult, owing to inefficient civil registration systems, non-reporting deaths, variable standards in certifying deaths, and the legal and social consequences of suicide, " he says.

BBC: NEWS | South Asia | South India suicide is world high