Tap any symbol to copy it. Every variant below is the real Unicode character, not an image.
Every code you need to type © in code or on a keyboard. Each button copies plain text.
| Where | Code / shortcut | Copy |
|---|---|---|
| Unicode | U+00A9 | |
| HTML entity | © | |
| HTML decimal | © | |
| HTML hex | © | |
| Windows Alt codeHold Alt, type 0169 on the numeric keypad | Alt + 0169 | |
| Mac | Option + G | |
| Microsoft WordOr type (c) and let AutoCorrect convert it | Ctrl + Alt + C | |
| Linux (GTK / IBus) | Ctrl + Shift + U, a9, Enter | |
| Linux (Compose key) | Compose, o, c | |
| CSS content | content: "\00A9"; | |
| JavaScript | "\u00A9" | |
| Python | "\u00A9" | |
| LaTeX | \textcopyright | |
| MarkdownPaste the character, or use © (most renderers accept HTML entities) | © |
(c) as the shortcut.(c) and AutoCorrect turns it into ©, or press Ctrl + Alt + C. Menu route: Insert → Symbol.(c) (automatic substitution is on by default), or use Insert → Special characters and search “copyright”.(c) for AutoCorrect, use Alt + 0169, or Insert → Symbol. In a formula, =UNICHAR(169) returns ©.=UNICHAR(169) or =CHAR(169), or paste it from this page.The © symbol is the international copyright notice. It tells anyone who sees a work that copyright is claimed in it, and by whom. In the United States it became the standard form of notice with the Copyright Act of 1909, but since the US joined the Berne Convention on 1 March 1989 it has been optional: your work is protected whether or not you attach it.
© 2026 Your Name
The symbol + the year of first publication + the copyright owner. That's the whole recipe.
They look alike but protect different things. Use this to pick the right one.
| Symbol | What it marks | When you can use it |
|---|---|---|
| © | Original creative works: writing, code, photos, artwork, music, video | As soon as the work exists. No registration needed. |
| ™ | A brand name, logo or slogan used as a trademark for goods | Any time you claim a mark, registered or not. |
| ® | A registered trademark | Only after the trademark office has registered it. Using ® on an unregistered mark is unlawful in many countries. |
| ℗ | A sound recording (the recorded performance, not the song itself) | On the release credits of a recording, next to the year and the label. |
Yes. In Berne Convention countries copyright arises automatically when the work is created. Registration matters for enforcement: (US) you must register a US work before suing, and timely registration enables statutory damages and attorney's fees.
The year of first publication. For unpublished work, use the year it was created. For a work that is updated over time, such as a website, use a range like 2020–2026.
A notice without an owner doesn't tell anyone who to ask for permission. In practice always use all three parts: ©, year and owner.
It still signals a copyright claim, but a complete notice is stronger: it makes it much harder for an infringer to say they didn't know the work was protected.
This page is general information, not legal advice.
SVG for print and design, and transparent PNG in four sizes. Free to use.
The copyright symbol is a capital C inside a circle: ©. Its Unicode code point is U+00A9. Similar-looking characters include the circled letters Ⓒ and ⓒ and the mirrored copyleft symbol 🄯, but only © is the official copyright sign.
Hold Alt and type 0169 on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on. Without a numeric keypad, press Win + . to open the emoji panel, choose the Symbols tab and pick ©. In Microsoft Word you can also press Ctrl + Alt + C or type (c).
The Windows alt code for the copyright symbol is Alt + 0169. Alt + 184 also produces © in some older code pages, but 0169 is the reliable one. On a Mac there is no alt code; press Option + G instead.
Use the named entity ©, the decimal reference © or the hex reference ©. All three render as © in every browser. With UTF-8 pages, which is the default today, you can also paste the © character straight into your HTML.
© marks a creative work protected by copyright, such as text, images, music or code. ™ marks a brand name or logo used as a trademark, whether registered or not. ® may only be used once a trademark has been officially registered. They protect different things and are not interchangeable.
No. In the 180+ countries of the Berne Convention, copyright exists automatically once a work is created, and you can use © straight away. Registration matters for enforcement: in the US, for example, you must register a US work before suing, and timely registration unlocks statutory damages and attorney’s fees.
You can, and it still signals that you claim copyright. But the conventional complete notice has three parts: ©, the year of first publication and the owner’s name, for example © 2026 Jane Doe. A complete notice makes it harder for an infringer to claim they did not know the work was protected.
Put it where people will reasonably see it: the footer of a website, the copyright page of a book, the end of a document, the description of a video or the credits of an album. There is no single required spot; the notice just needs to be visible and connected to the work.
Enter your name and year and get a notice for your website footer, book, music or video, ready to copy.
