Company Creation: Choose and protect the company name
Verified 01 January 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Naming your company is required. It's about his denomination. You can also choose a trade name (optional). The 2 must be reported.
What applies to you ?
Individual business small or micro-company
Individual business You're a chief of a This is called natural person as opposed to a business that is a corporation.
The name of your company must be your last name and first name.
The name of your company matches your name, which is your surname and your first name.
When you are an individual entrepreneur, your name is preceded or followed by the words "sole trader or "IS". This is called naming. She
shall be indicated on all your documents (invoice, order, advertising, correspondence, etc.).
Warning
The name should not be confused with the possible trade name or professional name of your company.
Please note
Therefore, you cannot change the name of your company (except in case of a change of surname or first name).
The name of your company has national protection, i.e. throughout France.
She's automatic from the time you the registration of your company.
If you're a merchant, we're talking about name salesman.
If you're a craftsman or a liberal, we're talking about names professional.
Communication tool
Your trade name is a tool for communication.
He is optional. It is, however advisable to choose one.
You are free to choose it. This may be your last name, a pseudonym or any other term invented.
What is it for?
It is used to identify your business and your products in the marketplace with your customers and competitors.
You use it during your pitch of presentation with the banks and financiers of your project.
Your business or professional name appears on your business cards, company letterhead, contracts, quotes and invoices (in addition to mandatory particulars).
Multiple possible shapes
The trade or professional name may take the following forms:
- Brand of your product or activity
- Sign of a local or store
- Logo
- Domain name of your website
But it can also be different and add to a brand, a logo, etc.
Check availability
Before choosing a commercial or professional name, it is better to check that it has not already been taken by another entrepreneur.
To check its availability, you can consult for free the Data Inpi database.
Searching for a company name and its availability on Data Inpi
You can complete this search with a more detailed (paid) request for similarity from the Inpi.
Check availability of a brand, logo, domain name
How to protect it?
You become proprietor commercial or professional name from its 1re use in a document (flyers, advertisements, invoices, etc.).
Business
Examples of company types concerned are: SARL: titleContent, EURL: titleContent, SA, SAS, CNS: titleContent.
You must choose the name of your business front of draw up its statutes.
A business' name is called corporate name.
She's obligatory.
Shareholders or partners must choose set the name of the business.
The choice is free. It can be a last name or any other existing or invented term.
It must be included in the statutes of the business followed by its legal form (SARL, SAS, SA, etc.).
Please note
if your company is a civil business, then we are talking about corporate name.
What is the purpose of the corporate name?
The name of the company allows differentiate your name, the name of your associates, the name of your company.
She often refers to theactivity pursued.
Business becomes proprietor of the name of the company at the time of its registration.
Before choosing your name, it is advisable to check that it has not already been chosen by another entrepreneur.
For check availability, you can consult for free the Data Inpi database.
Searching for a company name and its availability on Data Inpi
You can complete this search with a more detailed (paid) request for similarity from the Inpi.
You can change the name of the company by performing a changing your business' statuses.
FYI
This change is possible only with theagreement of the whole partners or shareholders.
Then you need to publish editing in a legal listing support.
- Commercial Code: Articles R123-53 to R123-62Declaration and registration of a business
- Commercial Code: Articles R123-237 to R123-238Disclaimers on business papers
- Commercial Code: Article R526-27Name of the individual contractor
- Intellectual Property Code: Articles L711-1 to L717-7Make
- Searching for a company name and its availability on Data Inpi
Search tools
- Check availability of a brand, logo, domain name
Search tools
- Company Formalities Window
Online service
FAQ
- Commercial signs
- Company creation: formalities for the registration of a business
- Company Creation: Keep your idea and product safe
- Appointment of the head of a business
- Change business Name
- How do I check the availability of a business name?National Institute of Industrial Property (Inpi)
- The key steps of trademark filingNational Institute of Industrial Property (Inpi)