Copyright, Trademark, and Registered HTML Entities
- © displays © (copyright), ™ displays ™ (trademark), ® displays ® (registered)
- All three are standard named HTML entities supported in every browser
- On UTF-8 pages you can also paste the symbols directly — both methods work
- Legal meaning is separate from HTML encoding — the symbol alone does not establish rights
Table of Contents
Three symbols appear in nearly every commercial website footer and product page: © for copyright, ™ for trademark, and ® for registered trademark. HTML has named entities for all three — short, memorable codes that render the symbols correctly in every browser without needing to find the character on your keyboard.
The HTML Entities for ©, ™, and ®
| Symbol | Named Entity | Numeric Entity | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| © | © | © | Copyright |
| ™ | ™ | ™ | Trademark |
| ® | ® | ® | Registered trademark |
All three are defined in the HTML specification and supported in every modern and legacy browser. Use the named entities (© ™ ®) — they are self-documenting and more readable than numeric codes.
Entity Code vs Pasting the Symbol Directly
On a UTF-8 encoded HTML page (which all modern pages should be), you can paste © ™ ® directly into your HTML and it renders correctly without any encoding. The entity approach is not strictly necessary.
Both are valid:
© 2026 Your Company→ © 2026 Your Company© 2026 Your Company→ © 2026 Your Company
Reasons to prefer entity codes anyway:
- The code is explicit and self-documenting — a future editor knows exactly what character is intended
- Some older content management systems or email editors have trouble with non-ASCII characters and strip or corrupt them
- RSS/XML feeds that are not UTF-8 encoded require entity encoding for these characters
- Typing © is easier than finding © on most keyboards
Where Each Symbol Is Used — and Their Legal Meaning
© (Copyright)
Used in footers ("© 2026 Company Name"), image captions ("Photo © Jane Smith"), and content attribution. In the US and most countries, copyright protection attaches automatically upon creation of original work — the © symbol is not legally required to establish copyright, but it serves as notice and is standard practice.
™ (Trademark)
Used after an unregistered trademark. Signals a claim to trademark rights without formal registration. No legal registration is required to use ™ — it is a common law trademark indicator. Use it when you are asserting trademark rights but have not completed formal registration.
® (Registered Trademark)
Used only after a mark that is officially registered with the relevant trademark authority (USPTO in the US, IPO in the UK, etc.). Using ® on an unregistered mark is unlawful in many jurisdictions. Only use ® after completing and receiving trademark registration.
How to Type © ™ ® Without HTML Entities
If you are not writing HTML and just need the characters in a document or design tool:
Mac:
- © — Option+G
- ™ — Option+2
- ® — Option+R
Windows:
- © — Alt+0169 (on numeric keypad)
- ™ — Alt+0153
- ® — Alt+0174
Any platform: Copy from the table above and paste wherever you need them. For HTML: use the entity codes (© ™ ®) instead of the symbols when writing markup by hand — it is faster than keyboard shortcuts for most developers.
Get HTML Entity Codes for Any Symbol
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Open Free HTML Entity ToolFrequently Asked Questions
What is the HTML code for the copyright symbol?
© is the named HTML entity for ©. You can also use © or paste © directly on a UTF-8 page.
What is the HTML entity for the trademark symbol ™?
™ is the named entity for ™. The numeric form is ™.
What is the difference between ™ and ®?
™ indicates an unregistered trademark claim. ® indicates an officially registered trademark. Using ® on an unregistered mark is unlawful in most jurisdictions.
Do I need to encode © as © on modern HTML pages?
Not strictly — UTF-8 HTML handles © directly. But © is self-documenting and works in all contexts including legacy systems and non-UTF-8 XML feeds.
