How much trouble will you be in if you use a name that is already in exsistence?
There are businesses that do have the same name but they are usually located in different cities and/or states. Each business name has to be registered though and you will have a business identification number or what is called a FEIN number. (a tax identification number). This is sometimes your social security number if you have a very small home business for example. You cannot use a trademark already in existence. Ex: You can use the name McDonalds (if it is your name )but you cannot associate it with golden arches or similar colors.You can use different variations of names or think of something creative, a name pertaining to the type of business you might be starting. For example, I had a cleaning business (offices, homes, factories) My business was called Mighty Brite Cleaning. Try thinking outside the box.Call your local Department of Revenue. They will provide you with all the instructions you need as far as getting your business name established. It is not very difficult at all.
Using the name of an existing business or someone else s trademarked property can get you sued (and every cent you made under that name can be claimed by that party, plus interest, penalties, etc), or can get you thrown in prison for a number of years plus fines (violation of trademark and/or copyright laws).Do NOT use someone else s trademark, service mark, or registered business name.Have your Intellectual Property attorney do a trademark and service mark search. Check with the Secretary of the State office in your state capitol. There will be a corporate registration office within your state s Secretary of the State office. Check there for name availability, and if available, you can reserve your name for a fee while you incorporate or form an LLC, etcCheck available domain names for your website. If the website using your chosen name is taken, that biz name is taken somewhere, too, perhaps in your country, perhaps abroad, but you would want to get your domain name wherever you are. Also, you would not your good name sullied by some crook in some hole who s using your tradename for their crooked website. So you have to do google and other web searches, domain name searches, as well as various governments business registration offices.
