Click any symbol above to copy it. The © lands on your clipboard ready to paste into a footer, a caption, a document, or anywhere else you need it.

The fastest ways to get ©

If you’d rather type it than copy it, these work almost everywhere:

• Windows: hold Alt and type 0169 on the number pad
• Mac: press Option + G
• HTML: use the entity ©
• Word: type (c) and it converts automatically

Full instructions for every platform are in our guides: Mac, Word, iPhone & Android, and alt codes & HTML.

When to use the © symbol

You own the copyright in anything original you create the moment you create it — a photo, a blog post, a song, a design. Registration and symbols aren’t what create the protection. So the © doesn’t grant you rights; it announces them. That announcement matters for two reasons:

1. It removes excuses. Someone who copies clearly marked work can’t credibly claim they thought it was free to use, which strengthens your position if you ever pursue a claim.
2. It deters casually. Most copying online isn’t malicious, it’s lazy. A visible notice stops a share of it before it happens.

A complete notice has three parts: the symbol (or the word “Copyright”), the year of first publication, and the owner’s name. Like this:

© 2026 Rivertown Pottery

Add “All rights reserved” if you want to make the position unambiguous. If you publish across multiple years, use a range: © 2021–2026. Our notice generator builds the line for you, with the HTML included.

© vs ® vs ™ — which one do you need?

People mix these up constantly, and they do different jobs:

• © covers creative work — writing, images, music, code, video.
• ™ claims a brand name or logo as a trademark, no registration needed.
• ® means the trademark is formally registered with a government office. Using ® on an unregistered mark can get you in trouble, so don’t guess.

There’s also ℗ for sound recordings (you’ll see it on album releases) and ℠ for service brands. Each has its own page here with the codes and typing shortcuts: Ⓒ circled C, ® registered, ™ trademark, ℠ service mark, ℗ sound recording, 🄯 copyleft, § section, ¶ pilcrow.

Common questions