How to Input the Copyright Symbol © on Linux

How to Input the Copyright Symbol ( © ) on Linux

by Heinz Tschabitscher | Jul 16, 2026 | Useful Tech

Looking for a ‘©’ key on your Linux machine? Tired of typing out the whole word “Copyright” and wasting precious space with it? Find out here how to quickly insert the copyright symbol ( © ) on Linux ⤓ — with a handy key combination, the uniquely powerful Compose key or a conveniently searchable character picker.

How to Input the Copyright Symbol ( © ) on Linux

Using the US-International Keyboard Layout for the Copyright Sign

Time needed: 1 minute

To type the copyright symbol directly using a key combination on Linux:

  1. Position the text cursor where you want to insert the copyright symbol.

    Here’s where: Treat the symbol like the word “copyright” — putting it in front of the year and copyright owner separated by whitespace, if at all possible a non-breaking space character.

  2. Add and switch to the US-English International keyboard layout.

    Here’s why: The regular US-English keyboard layout for Linux does not include a combination for the copyright sign.

  3. Press AltGr C (or Right Alt C) to type ‘©’.

    The copyright symbol on the Linux US English-International keyboard layout

Entering copy…right and left now?

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Typing ‘©’ Using the Linux “Compose” Key

To input the copyright symbol in Linux directly using the Compose key:

  1. Pick and enable a “Compose” key.
  2. Position the text cursor where you want to insert ‘©’.
  3. Press Compose.
  4. Type oc (the letter O followed by the letter C).

On an iPhone? Enter the Copyright Symbol (©) on the iPhone Keyboard
On Windows? How to Type the Copyright Symbol ( © ) on Windows

Using a Linux Character Picker to Insert the Copyright Sign

To use a character picking application to copy the copyright sign for pasting anywhere on Linux:

  1. Open KCharSelect (using KDE) or Characters (for Gnome).
  2. Search for copyright sign in the app.
  3. Copy the symbol ‘©’.
  4. Paste it where desired in your documents.
    Copying the copyright sign in the Gnome Linux Characters application

Also has a character picker: How to Make the Copyright Symbol ( © ) on a Mac

How to Input the Copyright Symbol ( © ) on Linux: FAQ

Can I insert the copyright symbol directly using its Unicode code point?

Yes.

To use the Unicode code point corresponding to © to input the character on Linux:

  1. Press Ctrl Shift U.
  2. Type 00A9.
    Using the Unicode code point to type the copyright symbol on Linux
  3. Press Space or Enter.

Can I copy the copyright symbol here for pasting?

Sure.

You can use the table below to copy the symbol for easy pasting anywhere on Linux:

Copyright symbol ©

(Tested with Gnome 48–50 and KDE Plasma 6.2; first published June 2025, last updated July 2026)

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