[david@zap-clean]

Anyone had problems with some other company contacting you saying they've recently spent money on building their business collateral (marketing stuff) and then realised they're using a very similar 'domain name' to your business.

They then generously offer to change their business name as it's the same as yours... and then offer to sell their domain name to you.  When you show interest in buying it suddenly the tone of the emails changes and they want 'compensating' for all the money they've already spent building their company name/image (i.e. £100's).

My answer started with an F and ended with an Off.

If you've registered your company name with Companies House I don't think you've got much to worry about - but watch out.

[Ian Gourlay]

I thought you could only register your name at companies house if you were Limited

Also many companies have similiar names  Also many  small companies use diffrent names to what they trade as to make it harder for industry spies etc to see how well or not they are doing.

[david@zap-clean]

I thought you could only register your name at companies house if you were Limited

You can register a company name (e.g. Ltd company) if you wish.  You own it, but, as a sole trader, you don't operate under the LTD company name - but you've protecting it for the future.

I have registered 'Zap Clean Ltd',  but I operate as 'me' T/A Zap-Clean

[John Kelly]

David you've gone the wrong way about it. Yes nobody can trade as Zap-clean Ltd but any amount of sole traders can trade as Zap-Clean and there would be nothing you could do about it.

What people need to do is register with the Governments interlectual property office. This then protects your business name and any logo associated with it as a trade mark. Think it costs £280 + vat. Ours are going through the system now. When you apply they have to advertise to see if anyone has objections before they'll grant it.

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/tm.htm

[david@zap-clean]

Tnx for this John.

Anyone starting out should do 'due dilligence' before spending money (advertising) on using their chosen name. 

They'd be daft to use an existing business name that's already been registered (as a limited company) and splattered all over t'internet, in every conceivable place... Unless they're trying to gain some credibility at the expense of the other company... which I though was illegal (know as 'passing off'). But I don't really know.

A plumbing mate of mine (sole trader) has used a solicitors letter on several occasions, which usually sorts the problem out.

[Ian Gourlay]

I think if you did a check at companies house you would find several companies using similar names . That is why Watchdog often says when exposing a rouge trader not to be confused with companies of a similar name

I might have had a problem though when I opened my Newsagents Stationery Book Shop if I had traded as W.H.Smith as it is a national brand

That said we have a shop in our town that trades as Harrods

[david@zap-clean]

Tnx. 

This forum thread re-enforces my view that what I said at the beginning is a scam.  I'll just ignore them. 

I've grabbed/registered my business name in every place I can think of... if I was starting out I would not choose a name similar to mine, I'd find something more unique, for my own sake.

[Jon Tabbener]

  there's a shop in Cardiff call "sell fridges" which I thought was quite clever

[stuart_clark]

jOHN
i WAS TALKING TO STU CLEM YESTERDAY, HE SAID YOU WERE NO LONGER SELLING THE PROWLER ?