Each way of registering your name serves a different purpose, and some may be legally required depending on your business structure and location. Each of these name registrations are legally independent. Most small businesses try to use the same name for each kind of registration, but you’re not normally required to.
Do I have to buy my business name?
Under California laws, there is no need for a business owner to register a DBA or a fictitious business name so long as the business’ name includes your last name. This is because, under California law, a business name is not a fictitious name if it includes your last name.
How much does it cost to get a business name?
The basic cost to trademark a business name ranges from $225 to $600 per trademark class. This is the cost to submit your trademark application to the USPTO. The easiest and least expensive way to register your trademark is online, through the USPTO’s Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS).
How do you buy the rights to a business name?
Registering a trademark for a company name is pretty straightforward. Many businesses can file an application online in less than 90 minutes, without a lawyer’s help. The simplest way to register is on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Web site, www.uspto.gov.
How do I protect my business name?
Trademark. A trademark can protect the name of your business, goods, and services at a national level. Trademarks prevent others in the same (or similar) industry in the United States from using your trademarked names.
Can I sell business names?
Establish your right to sell the business name. … However, if the name isn’t trademarked or otherwise protected by local, state or federal law, you might have no authority to sell it. That means a potential buyer could take it without paying you a penny. Prove the name’s validity.
How do I buy a business with no money?
One way to finance a business with no money down is to do a small business leveraged buyout. In a leveraged buyout, you leverage the assets of the business (plus other funds) to finance the purchase. A leveraged buyout can be structured as a “no-money-down transaction” if one condition is met.
How do I name my small business?
12 Tips for Naming Your Small Business
- 1) Take Your Time in the Beginning. …
- 2) Understand Your Business. …
- 3) Keep It Short and Simple. …
- 4) Be Descriptive. …
- 5) Share Your Business’s Story. …
- 6) Leave Your Name Out of It. …
- 7) Brainstorm & Use a Business Name Generator.
Do I have to trademark my logo?
Your brand name and logo are your trademarks. … Brand names and logos are IP assets (trademarks) worth protecting. Registering your trademark gives you 15 years of exclusive rights to use it, and you can renew it indefinitely, as long as you are still using the trademark.
Do I need to copyright my logo?
Is a logo subject to copyright? Yes. A logo that includes artistic or design elements, (i.e. not just the name on its own), is legally regarded as being a work of artistic creation and therefore will be protected under copyright law. Copyright protects the logo as an artistic work.
Can I trademark my name?
Trademark law protects names, logos and other “marks” that are used in commerce. … But if—like most people—you only use your name for personal purposes, you can’t register it as a trademark. In addition, you can’t trademark your name if it is likely to be confused with other registered trademarks.
How can I make sure no business name?
To be sure no one improperly uses your business’s name or branding, you need to obtain a trademark. To do so, you’ll need to file an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Filing an application does not automatically mean your trademark will be approved.
Can two businesses have the same name?
Yes, you can have a company with exactly the same name. But, only if your business is not in the same “class” of business as the other company(s). Looking at a trademark search for “Virgin” (Trademark search at USPTO ) there are 829 current and past trademarks that use this word.