Company name and Trading names

[simonsays]

Hello,

I discovered this excellent site (and forum) recently, so trying to absorb the knowledge!

I have read this article regarding trading names. My question is this:

Once a company is registered with companies house, no-one can use the same name. Is there anything similar with regards to trading names?

For example, a company called abc consultants ltd is formed.
abc consultants would like to consultant in 2, possibly 3 (dissimilar) back office products.

No-one has registered the company or Internet domain "paramount contact management services" (example - it may have!)

paramountcontactmanagment.co.uk is purchased. At the footer of the site, it states that it is a trading name of abc consultants ltd.

same for electronicmailsolutions.co.uk....

If this is OK so far, what if someone later a year later registers these names (or something very similar) at companies house?

Sorry for the waffle on the first post!

[Not So Wise]

First off, domains have nothing to do legally with company/trading names, thus immaterial

Next, nothing to stop a company trading under any name it wants, except things like trademark (which is something very different again)

And yes another company could be formed using your trading name at a later date, but nothing they could really do about you (or you about them) unless there were trademark violations

[Ardesco]

Yup, sort of similar. Look here:

http://www.start.biz/business_names/

Of course it is limited in scope, but if you want to protect a trading name worth a punt IMHO.

[simonsays]

Thanks for clarification.

Excellent link - appreciated!