diff --git a/jc/cli.py b/jc/cli.py
index a05e6e5a..976ceabb 100644
--- a/jc/cli.py
+++ b/jc/cli.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ JC cli module
 
 import sys
 import os
-import locale
 import textwrap
 import signal
 import shlex
@@ -31,13 +30,6 @@ except Exception:
 
 JC_ERROR_EXIT = 100
 
-try:
-    UTF_8_SUPPORT = bool(locale.getlocale()[1] == 'UTF-8')
-except Exception:
-    UTF_8_SUPPORT = False
-
-CPR = '©' if UTF_8_SUPPORT else '(c)'
-
 
 class info():
     version = __version__
@@ -45,7 +37,7 @@ class info():
     author = 'Kelly Brazil'
     author_email = 'kellyjonbrazil@gmail.com'
     website = 'https://github.com/kellyjonbrazil/jc'
-    copyright = f'{CPR} 2019-2022 Kelly Brazil'
+    copyright = f'© 2019-2022 Kelly Brazil'
     license = 'MIT License'
 
 
@@ -92,6 +84,16 @@ if PYGMENTS_INSTALLED:
         }
 
 
+def asciify(string):
+    """
+    Return a string downgraded from Unicode to ASCII with some simple
+    conversions.
+    """
+    string = string.replace('©', '(c)')
+    string = ascii(string)
+    return string.replace(r'\n', '\n')
+
+
 def set_env_colors(env_colors=None):
     """
     Return a dictionary to be used in Pygments custom style class.
@@ -277,7 +279,6 @@ def json_out(data, pretty=False, env_colors=None, mono=False, piped_out=False):
     """
     separators = (',', ':')
     indent = None
-    ascii = False if UTF_8_SUPPORT else True
 
     if pretty:
         separators = None
@@ -288,10 +289,23 @@ def json_out(data, pretty=False, env_colors=None, mono=False, piped_out=False):
         class JcStyle(Style):
             styles = set_env_colors(env_colors)
 
-        return str(highlight(json.dumps(data, indent=indent, separators=separators, ensure_ascii=ascii),
-                             JsonLexer(), Terminal256Formatter(style=JcStyle))[0:-1])
+        try:
+            return str(highlight(json.dumps(data,
+                                            indent=indent,
+                                            separators=separators,
+                                            ensure_ascii=False),
+                                 JsonLexer(), Terminal256Formatter(style=JcStyle))[0:-1])
+        except UnicodeEncodeError:
+            return str(highlight(json.dumps(data,
+                                            indent=indent,
+                                            separators=separators,
+                                            ensure_ascii=True),
+                                 JsonLexer(), Terminal256Formatter(style=JcStyle))[0:-1])
 
-    return json.dumps(data, indent=indent, separators=separators, ensure_ascii=ascii)
+    try:
+        return json.dumps(data, indent=indent, separators=separators, ensure_ascii=False)
+    except UnicodeEncodeError:
+        return json.dumps(data, indent=indent, separators=separators, ensure_ascii=True)
 
 
 def magic_parser(args):
@@ -437,11 +451,17 @@ def main():
         sys.exit(0)
 
     if help_me:
-        print(help_doc(sys.argv))
+        try:
+            print(help_doc(sys.argv))
+        except UnicodeEncodeError:
+            print(asciify(help_doc(sys.argv)))
         sys.exit(0)
 
     if version_info:
-        print(versiontext())
+        try:
+            print(versiontext())
+        except UnicodeEncodeError:
+            print(asciify(versiontext()))
         sys.exit(0)
 
     # if magic syntax used, try to run the command and error if it's not found, etc.