How to Add Copyright Symbol in HTML: Your Quick and Easy Guide

By Cristian G. Guasch •  Updated: 09/18/23 •  4 min read

In today’s digital age, protecting your content is more important than ever before. One way to do this is by adding a copyright symbol to your HTML code. Adding a copyright symbol in HTML isn’t as difficult as it may first seem and I’m here to guide you through the entire process.

If you’re worried you need advanced coding skills, don’t be! It doesn’t require any heavy-duty programming knowledge. All it takes is inserting a simple piece of code into your webpage’s HTML structure. But why should you add a copyright symbol? It serves as an instant reminder for visitors that your content is yours – not to be used without permission or attribution.

Let’s get down to business and discuss how you can easily add the copyright symbol (©) in HTML. Whether you’re running a blog, online store, or personal website, this little character can make all the difference in safeguarding your intellectual property online. Don’t underestimate its power – after all, it’s there for a reason!

It’s crucial to fully understand what the copyright symbol is before we dig into how to incorporate it into HTML. Now, I’m sure most of us have come across this tiny icon – © – in one form or another. This universal symbol, known as the copyright symbol, signifies that a work, be it text, image, music or any other creative production is protected under copyright law.

So why does this matter for web developers and content creators? Well, adding a copyright notice on your website can deter others from using your original content without permission. It serves as a public declaration that you own the rights to your work.

Incorporating this handy little symbol into your HTML code isn’t complex at all. In fact, there are several ways to do it! The simplest method involves using an HTML entity. Here’s an example:

©

Placing this snippet in your website’s footer will render the classic “©” symbol!

Yet another method calls for employing numerical character references (NCRs). NCRs use numbers rather than names for referencing characters. For instance:

©

This exact code will also display our much-discussed “©” on screen.

Finally let’s not forget about UTF-8 encoding. As long as your webpage is set up with UTF-8 encoding (which has become quite standard), you can pop in the actual “©” character directly!

While these methods may seem similar they’ve got their unique perks depending on specific scenarios or preferences. So feel free to experiment and see which one suits best for you.

Here’s the good news – adding a copyright symbol in HTML isn’t as tough as you might think. It’s simply a matter of using the right character entity. The special code for a copyright symbol is ©. When you add this to your HTML document, it’ll display as © on your webpage.

To illustrate, let me break down how easy it is. Suppose you want to add a copyright notice at the bottom of your website page that reads “Copyright 2022, Your Company Name.” Here’s what your HTML could look like:

<p>&copy; 2022, Your Company Name</p>

After saving and refreshing your webpage, your copyright notice will appear with the proper symbol.

But wait! There’s more than one way to skin this cat. If you’re someone who prefers dealing with numbers over text-based codes, there’s an alternative method for you too. Instead of &copy;, use &#169; which stands for the same copyright symbol in numeric form.

Here’s that same example but using the numerical code instead:

<p>&#169; 2022, Your Company Name</p>

Both methods are equally effective and work across all browsers. So whether you’re coding a personal blog or crafting a professional company website, these simple steps will have your pages legally covered!

Remember though – while adding this sign is straightforward enough, make sure it applies accurately to your content and uphold any legal rights effectively.

Cristian G. Guasch

Hey! I'm Cristian Gonzalez, I created HTML Easy to help you learn HTML easily and fast.

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