Copyright Symbol (©)

Q: Do I need to register copyright to use the © symbol?

No. You can use © on any original work you own. Copyright exists automatically; registration is only needed in some countries, such as the US, before filing a lawsuit.

Q: What is the correct format for a copyright notice?

Q: What is the alt code for the copyright symbol?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 0169 on the numeric keypad to get ©. On a laptop without a keypad, copy it from this page or use 00A9 then Alt + X in Word.

Q: How do I type the copyright symbol on a Mac?

Press Option + G. It works in every app on the US keyboard layout. You can also open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search for it.

Q: What is the HTML code for the copyright symbol?

Use the named entity © or the numeric reference © (hex ©). All three display © in every browser.

Q: What is the Unicode for the copyright symbol?

The copyright symbol © is Unicode U+00A9, the copyright notice sign. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard, or type it with Alt + 0169 on Windows or Option + G on a Mac.

Unicode: U+00A9
HTML: ©
Windows: Alt + 0169
Mac: Option + G

How to type the copyright symbol (©)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type © yourself, use the method for your device below. On Windows the alt code is Alt + 0169. On a Mac it is Option + G.

Windows

Hold Alt and type 0169 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. Num Lock must be on. This uses the Windows-1252 code page, so it works in almost every Windows app.
In Word or Outlook, type 00A9 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
Press Win + . to open the emoji panel, then search for “copyright”.

Mac

Press Option+G. On the standard US and US-International layouts.
Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for copyright and double-click it.

Linux & ChromeOS

Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type a9, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.
Press your Compose key, then o c. Needs a Compose key set in your keyboard settings.

iPhone & iPad

The iPhone keyboard has no © key. Save it as a text replacement, for example “(c)”, under Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement.
Copy © from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;copy. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Android

In Gboard, tap ?123, then =\<. The copyright sign © is on that page.
Copy © here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

Type (c) and Word's AutoCorrect replaces it with ©.
Type 00A9, then press Alt + X.
Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 00A9 in “Character code” and click Insert.
On a Mac, Option+G works in Word too.

Google Docs

Type (c) followed by a space; Google Docs substitutes © automatically.
Insert → Special characters, then search for “copyright” or draw it in the box.

Excel & Google Sheets

Enter =UNICHAR(169) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

Write © or © in your HTML.

What does © mean?

The copyright symbol © introduces a copyright notice: © 2026 Jane Smith, or © 2019–2026 Example Ltd. A complete notice has three parts: the symbol (or the word “Copyright”), the year of first publication and the owner’s name.

In most countries the notice is optional. Under the Berne Convention, a work is protected automatically from the moment it is created, so © is a reminder and a deterrent rather than a requirement. In the United States a proper notice still matters in court, because it defeats the “innocent infringement” defence.

Common uses

Website footers: © 2026 Company Name. All rights reserved.
Book copyright pages and photo credits: Photo © Ana Ruiz
Software licence headers in source files