Choosing your company name

— filed under: IPONZ

Find out how to search for possible name clashes. Once your chosen company name has been reserved and approved by the Registrar of Companies, no other company can register an identical name.

You need to choose a company name when you start a company (incorporate a company).

It is a little like a new born baby - they need a new name. When you incorporate a company, it too is being 'born' into the business world.
The name needs to be distinctive and cannot copy other companies.
Always search the Register of Companies to see if the name you have in mind is taken.
Registration of a company name provides limited name protection – that is, it will prevent another company being incorporated under an identical or almost identical name.
The Registrar does not check if the name you have chosen infringes a registered trade mark. We recommend you also conduct a registered trade mark search with the Intellectual Property Office (IPONZ).

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