If I Have An Internet Domain Name, Can It Also Be Registered AS My Business Name?

Yes, if the domain name is not the same as or deceptively similar to any business name already in some manner registered with the Secretary of State. Therefore, ownership of a domain name is not a guarantee that the domain name can be the business name.

Register A Business Name in New Jersey

ï  Business Under Your Own Name
If you intend to do business under your own name, you are not required to register a trade name. 

ï  Sole Proprietorship or General Partnership
If you are starting a sole proprietorship or a general partnership and intend to operate under a trade name or a name that includes the designation "and company" or "& co.," you are required to register your business's name with the County Clerk of the county or counties in which you intend to conduct or transact business. 

ï  Corporation, Limited Liability Company, Limited Partnership or Limited Liability Partnership
If you are starting a corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership or limited liability partnership, you are required to file with the state of New Jersey. If desired, you can reserve the business name for use prior to filing your original business certificate with the state (see below). 

ï  How to Reserve/Register Your Business Name
You may elect to reserve or register a business name prior to registering a new business entity. This service is for business entities other than sole proprietorships and partnerships, and is optional. 
First you must determine that the business name is available, and then file to hold the name by submitting a paper form. Foreign corporations must also submit by FAX a standing certificate from their home state within 21 days of filing for the name registration. The standing certificate must be current and issued no more than 30 days prior to the name registration filing.
Domestic corporations will have the name reserved for 120 days. The name registration for foreign corporations will last until the end of the calendar year.
Remember - reserving a business name does not register the business entity. You will still need to register your business either online or by submitting the paper forms. It is important to note that online business registration is not available if you have reserved or registered the business name.
Fees:
      $15.00 per name for name availability.
      $50.00 per name for name registration / reservation.
Expedited service:
This optional service, which provides processing in 8.5 business hours is available for requests received by fax, in person or by courier service. The fee for this optional service is $15.00 per transaction for corporations, nonprofits and LPs and $25.00 per filing for LLCs and LLPs. This fee is in addition to other charges.

Choosing A Name for My New Corporation

Filing your business name with a local county clerkís office or the Bureau of Commercial Services,
Corporation Division, creates no substantive rights to a name. You may wish to exercise care in selecting a name, however, to avoid infringing on names filed by other businesses or being used by another entity as a trademark, service mark or trade name. To protect any rights a business claims to its name, the business entity must monitor its name and respond to anyone who infringes on its rights.

Register My Business Name in Wisconsin

There is often some confusion about registering a business name, the protection it provides, and which state organizations are involved. Here is a summary: Registering your business name/your name as a trademark:

Wisconsin statutes do not require the registration of marks with the Secretary of State. Consequently, many marks are in use without being registered, and therefore the Secretary of State has only a partial listing of those in use by businesses operating in Wisconsin. Other areas to investigate might be the Internet, telephone books, trade journals, and other publications available at the public library.

Wisconsin statutes define "mark" as "...a label, trademark, trade name, term, design, pattern, model, device, shopmark, drawing, specification, designation, or form of advertisement that is adopted or used by any person to designate, make known or distinguish any goods or service as having been made, prepared or provided by that person and that is registered by that person under s.132.01."

Registration of a "mark" is a public record that shows the date a party began using a mark. While registration may discourage others from using the same or similar mark, it offers no absolute protection from future conflicts. Registration of a mark, including a business name, does not give exclusive rights to that mark.

Rights to a mark are acquired through use and not merely by registration. A business using a mark for a number of years without registering it could have rights over a business just beginning to use it, regardless of the new firm's registration with the Secretary of State. Rights may be acquired by using a mark to such an extent that the public comes to associate it with a particular party so far as a certain product or service is concerned. However, until a Court determines exactly who has such rights, no party has exclusive right to a mark, regardless of whether or not the mark has been registered with the Secretary of State.

The Secretary of State is required to accept all properly completed applications, regardless of any similar or identical prior registrations. Before registering a mark with the Secretary of State, a person should be reasonably sure that use of the mark would not infringe on another party's rights. If a party claims exclusive rights to a particular mark and is faced with infringement of those rights, it should be understood that the Secretary of State has no authority to determine who has any such rights. Any conflicts must be resolved between the parties involved, or by the Courts. Anyone wanting an opinion regarding exclusive rights should consider consulting a private attorney. The Secretary of State is not authorized to provide such services.

Any questions about registration of marks should be directed to the Office of the Secretary of State, Trademark Records, P.O. Box 7848, Madison, WI 53707-7848. Telephone: (608) 266-5653. You may register your mark online.

How Do I Check A Business Name for Availability?

Most  Secretary of Stateís business database resides on its  websites. You can preliminarily review all of the business names that being used to determine if your name maybe available to register.
The Secretary of State will conduct a preliminary search for availability; however, the final determination for availability is made when a document is actually filed. Therefore, a business is advised to avoid investment or commitments in a business name until after a name registration is confirmed with the Secretary of State.