Legal requirements for company names

The company name is the embodiment of a business. It helps a new business stand out clearly from already existing companies. That’s why it’s more than annoying when you go through the effort of making up a name and having it printed on business cards, only to find out that it’s already taken. You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble if, before things get serious, you verify that the name is still available.

Another important thing you should do in order to avoid conflicts with other name holders is made sure that existing trademark rights are not violated. Before a company can be registered in the commercial registry, the company owner is obligated to check and see if the chosen company name is already taken. As a first step to verify the availability of the chosen company name, it’s worth doing some Internet research. If the desired domain name is still available, that’s a good sign.

In order to give potential customers a sense that a company is unique, the desired name should also be available on social networks. A strong brand can only be built if that’s the case. Another step you can take to verify the availability of a name is to do some research to see which trademarks have already been registered, for example at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. If you find out that the name is already taken, you can contact the name owner and, if necessary, start negotiations.

Check if your company name is available

If the name is still available, you can start to think about if, in order to protect your company name, you would like to have the name registered as a trademark. Once the name is trademarked, it’s protected from other interested parties.

All-around check of company names

NameRobot Toolbox has a tool called the Control Center where you can verify the availability of your desired name. First, you can run a Domain Name Check for free and without having to register. The Domain Check will help you find out if the desired website is still available and with which domain endings. Next, you can continue with a Trademark Check. The Trademark Check checks to see if the desired name has already been taken and registered as a trademark. The Trademark Check is run nationally as well as internationally.

In the end, you’ll get a clear analysis of equivalent or identical brands. Along with the Domain and Trademark Check, there’s also the Social Username Check. It will help you verify the availability of the name if the name is still available in social networks. The App Name Check does the same thing. It verifies the availability of the name in app stores such as iTunes or Google Play.

In the age of the search engine, a good ranking in Google and Co. has a say in the success of a business. That’s why the Control Center also has a Search Engine Check for names. It tests how well the desired name ranks in the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing) as well as product search engines.

Last but not least, you can check your company name for hidden words. This will help you to easily find out whether or not terms within the name are positive or negative and whether or not the name contains offensive words in other languages.

All these checks will save you a lot of work and help to build a comprehensive image of your company name and consequently increase the value of your brand recognition. And best of all, it’s really easy to use!

Tool for quick company name checking

The fastest way to check a company name is to use a tool like NameScore. It shows you can quickly and reliably analyze whether your name ideas are basically suitable for professional use. Of course, don't forget, a subsequent legal consultation is always still advisable!