Why to Search Corporate Names

The two main reasons to do searches relate to using the name for incorporation and to avoid being sued for trademark or business infringement.

Registration

You must submit a NUANS Corporate Name Search with each application for incorporation. In addition, we strongly recommended that you do a careful analysis of the search results, to see if you may have a confusion issue.

Avoid Infringement

You should not begin using a corporate or business name without considering whether it might be infringing someone else’s trademark or business name. Even if you feel that your corporate name is distinctive and you are unaware of any other use of the name, you may still be infringing. For example, if a business at the other end of the country has already registered your corporate name as a trademark, then their rights will extend across Canada and may be stronger than yours. You may build up a nice business around your corporate name, only to be sued for business name or trademark infringement years later.