The title compound, [Cu-2(C2H3O2)(4)(C6H4N2)(2)], has the familiar lantern-type structure that is characteristic of dimetal tetracarboxylates of copper and several other transition elements. The molecule lies about an inversion centre and the Cu atom is present in a distorted square-pyramidal coordination environment, consisting of four O atoms in equatorial positions and the pyridyl-N atoms of the two 4-cyanopyridine ligands in axial positions.