Choosing your company name

What you need to know

• You need to choose a company name when you form a company. 

• It is a little like a new born baby - they need a new name.  When you form 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 Companies Register 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 of New Zealand (IPONZ).

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