Ettique Question Re: Business Name
Business By yummymummycakes Updated 3 Oct 2007 , 11:16am by Erdica
Need some advise regarding the following:
I PM a member about 2 1/2 weeks ago as her user name is very similar to the business name that I will be using when I get registed shortly.
Now I realise that she is in America and I am in Australia, but I just wanted to check and make sure that no offence would be taken by her.
The business name is actually my boyfriends nick name for me.
Anyway she has not replied and she has not posted for over a year.
So am I ok to use the name (it will be in my website) or will I be viewed as an outcast for using someones user name?
Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
On her profile info does she have a website? If so you could try and contact her that way. Personally, I would not care if I was not using that name in some other business context.
Maybe you should get an answer from Jackie or Heath...I've never seen this question asked, tho I'm not a really long-time member .
Best of luck 
In the United States we have the abililty to look up a business name and find out if ANYONE else is using it as a registered business. Perhaps if you PM me the name I can look that up for you when I get home from OSSAS. I wouldn't mind doing that. If it is not registered as a business, then by all means use it. If it IS registered as a business, you may wish to contact her and just clarify with her that she would not be upset. Since you are in another country, I do not see that it would be a huge issue, but she may feel differently. It would also depend on the size of both her business and yours. If you are both small local companies doing local business, no worries, but if you are both large, semi-international businesses, I could see how that could be a problem. For example... if you named your business "Charm City Cakes" and actually became popular enough for someone to figure it out, you may be staring down the barrell of some trouble! 
HTH! Let me know if you want me to look it up! Or I can send you a link to do it too!
Thanks for the replies ladies.
As I said she has not posted since 2006 and there were no photos or website listed for her.
Melvira I will PM the business name I will be using in Aust. I know it is available here, just wanted to ensure that I wasnt going to offend anyone on the forum.
Once again thanks
Cheryl
My registered business name is "once upon a cake" Shortly after a registered it where I live I noticed that it was someone's user name here on CC. My thoughts were exactly this..."Yikes...what a coincidence!" 
I never bothered to contact her and say "oopsy" or anything like that. I mean a user name and a business name don't really conflict with each other in any way...unless their user name IS their business name. Even then though, there can be 2 businesses with the same name in different countries. The registries office won't let 2 businesses have the same name in the same province. (Where I live) My first pick for a business name was "Le gateau" But there is already a business with that name in Alberta so I couldn't register that name as it was already registered. (maybe there is already a business near you with that name in Australia and you don't even know about it...then the CC user name is irrelivant because you won't be able to register an already registered business name that exists in your area) Am I making sense?? Take your name idea and go to the registry office. If they say your good to go, I wouldn't worry about anything else.
Melvira, how do you look up a registered business name. I am in Louisiana and there used to be a link on our Sec of State website, but it is no longer there. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
susan
Oh Susan, that's a load of poo!! I can't believe they would remove that function!! I would send them an email at their help address and ask them how this function has been replaced. That search function is what I use. Shame on them for making it harder for you!!
My registered business name is "once upon a cake" Shortly after a registered it where I live I noticed that it was someone's user name here on CC. My thoughts were exactly this..."Yikes...what a coincidence!"
I never bothered to contact her and say "oopsy" or anything like that. I mean a user name and a business name don't really conflict with each other in any way...unless their user name IS their business name. Even then though, there can be 2 businesses with the same name in different countries. The registries office won't let 2 businesses have the same name in the same province. (Where I live) My first pick for a business name was "Le gateau" But there is already a business with that name in Alberta so I couldn't register that name as it was already registered. (maybe there is already a business near you with that name in Australia and you don't even know about it...then the CC user name is irrelivant because you won't be able to register an already registered business name that exists in your area) Am I making sense?? Take your name idea and go to the registry office. If they say your good to go, I wouldn't worry about anything else.
The same thing here.
My business name is Sugarplum Creations and I think there are a few users names similar to that.
idoweddingcookies; i think on is sugarplaumfairy from memory.
I just wanted to do what I thought was the right thing............ I didnt want anyone to think I had just 'pinched' their name.
So here comes: 'Yummy Mummy Cakes Pty Ltd' 
Cheryl
You should be able to register your name through your Secretarty of State. It's o\\probably best to call them. I thought I registered my name. It was $50 for 5 months. As I was looking at other business names, I realized I didn't register it, I just kind of saved it. So I called because I was confused. The guy I spoke to was very nice. Helped me get the correct paperwork to register it. Now I just have to renew every 5 yrs.
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