In addition, if two companies fall into the same category of activities, they cannot have substantially similar names – including names that imply affiliation. For example, if there is a grocery store in your state called «Big Food Market,» you`ll likely have problems approving the proposed name «Big Food Mart» for your grocery store. Each U.S. state has an official search tool for the availability of company names that is easily accessible to the public. This digital tool is still operated by the state authority responsible for business registration. Most often, your referral agency is your Secretary of State or Department of State, although it is sometimes operated by an alternative department (such as the Department of Commerce, Taxation, or Licensing) or a corporate department. To be sure, you need to do a thorough research to make sure that your company name is not legally assigned. While two company names in separate states can technically have the same name, you should be careful before making your choice. If the other company has registered its name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), using the name can put you in trademark infringement problems that are best avoided. If you answer «yes» to any of these points, you should think about how much it might affect your business and whether you want to search for a different name. A certificate of the accepted name must contain a specified term or duration for filing, which may not exceed 10 years from the date of filing. The certificate expires at the end of the specified period or 10 years from the date of filing. If the holder decides to continue using the same accepted name, a new certificate for the accepted name must be submitted before the current certificate expires.
A company that has registered a DBA may have common law trademark rights to the company name and may have gained strong local recognition that could make it difficult to market your business. Below is a list of companies registered in Oklahoma that use the words you entered in their company name, as well as whether it is the legal name or the business name of the company. Here`s how to perform a business name search in North Carolina: You should contact a private attorney to find out what steps can be taken to protect your business name and goodwill in commerce. Submitting an accepted name does not give you the right to use the accepted name in a way that violates the law, including the laws of unfair competition, unfair trade practices, copyright and trademarks, and this does not prevent anyone from submitting the same accepted name or using the name to form a new entity. The Secretary of State will submit an accepted name certificate without specifying any rights you may have to use the name. Therefore, more than one person may have the same assumed name in the file. A general internet search will help you assess whether another company has established a strong internet presence using the name of the company you want. A company that uses your name online may have established common law or state trademark rights on the name and may already have registered domain names and social media profiles that match the company`s name, making it harder for you to market your business with the same name. Legally, no two names registered in a state can be exactly the same. Even if a company with the desired name is a different business entity than yours (for example, «Inc.» instead of «LLC»), you will not be able to register with that name. You will see if the name is available or not. If you want to see companies with similar names, select «Business Entity Database» instead of «Name Availability» and search for keywords.
Many places require businesses operating under a fictitious name to register a company name with the city or county. By checking these DBA records, you can find out if there is another company in your area that uses the name you want to use. LLC Fees and Forms: www.nvsos.gov/sos/businesses/commercial-recordings/forms-fees/all-business-forms A name registration is a deposit that can be made by an organization authorized to do business in Texas as a bank, trust, savings association, or insurance company, or that is a foreign deposit agent that is not registered to do business in Texas under the Texas Business Organizations Code. To approve a name registration, the name in the Secretary of State`s records must be distinguishable from the name of an existing depository authority, a foreign registration authority, a reservation of name, or another name registration.