diff --git a/src/cluecode/copyrights.py b/src/cluecode/copyrights.py
index 8272135955f..5ec2ea1960f 100644
--- a/src/cluecode/copyrights.py
+++ b/src/cluecode/copyrights.py
@@ -4502,6 +4502,8 @@ def prepare_text_line(line):
 
         # normalize copyright signs, quotes and spacing around them
         .replace('"Copyright', '" Copyright')
+        .replace('[C]', '(c)')
+        .replace('[c]', '(c)')
         .replace('( C)', ' (c) ')
         .replace('(C)', ' (c) ')
         .replace('(c)', ' (c) ')
diff --git a/src/licensedcode/data/rules/umich-merit_1.RULE b/src/licensedcode/data/rules/umich-merit_1.RULE
index 4f48c2cbb6c..4b7aa5e3839 100644
--- a/src/licensedcode/data/rules/umich-merit_1.RULE
+++ b/src/licensedcode/data/rules/umich-merit_1.RULE
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 license_expression: umich-merit
 is_license_text: yes
 minimum_coverage: 95
+ignorable_copyrights:
+    - (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and Merit Network, Inc. 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
+ignorable_holders:
+    - The Regents of the University of Michigan and Merit Network, Inc.
 ---
 
 [C] The Regents of the University of Michigan and Merit Network, Inc. 1992,
diff --git a/tests/cluecode/test_copyrights_basic.py b/tests/cluecode/test_copyrights_basic.py
index 23408ea643b..fa4a5b6711b 100644
--- a/tests/cluecode/test_copyrights_basic.py
+++ b/tests/cluecode/test_copyrights_basic.py
@@ -68,6 +68,16 @@ def test_prepare_text_line_does_not_damage_urls(self):
         result = prepare_text_line(cp)
         assert result == 'copyright (c) 2000 World Wide Web Consortium, http://www.w3.org'
 
+    def test_prepare_text_line_normalizes_bracket_C_uppercase(self):
+        cp = '[C] The Regents of the University of Michigan and Merit Network, Inc. 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 All Rights Reserved'
+        result = prepare_text_line(cp)
+        assert result == '(c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and Merit Network, Inc. 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 All Rights Reserved'
+
+    def test_prepare_text_line_normalizes_bracket_c_lowercase(self):
+        cp = 'Copyright [c] 2005, 2017 by Alex McDonald (alex at rivadpm dot com)'
+        result = prepare_text_line(cp)
+        assert result == 'Copyright (c) 2005, 2017 by Alex McDonald (alex at rivadpm dot com)'
+
     def test_prepare_text_line_does_replace_copyright_signs(self):
         cp = 'Copyright \\A9 1991, 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc.'
         result = prepare_text_line(cp)