TNAG-2378-FCO40-3457-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-Nationality-(Hong-Kong)-Act-19-1991 — Page 55

Choosing A Company Name

C

Choosing A Company Name

C

You also cannot choose a name that, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, is offensive or whose use would constitute a criminal offence. Some names need the approval of the Secretary of State before they can be registered. (See Appendices to this booklet).

WHAT DOES "THE SAME AS" MEAN?

Provided that the name you have chosen does not

need the Secretary of State's approval, or is a name

that cannot be registered for other reasons (explained

later in this booklet), you can usually have your choice

of name on condition that it is not the "same as" a

name already on the Index.

When deciding whether a name is the "same as"

another name, punctuation, the company's status and words like "company (or co)", "and (or &) company (or co)" will be ignored for the purposes of comparison. A

name which sounds the same as one already on the

Index may be accepted provided that the two names are spelt differently from each other.

For example, the name "Hands Limited" might be

already on the Index. Some examples of names which

would be refused against this name are:

*

Hands Public Limited Company (or PLC);

* H and S Limited (or Ltd);

*

*

H and S Public Limited Company (or PLC);

any of the above with the addition of "Company (or Co)" or "and (or &) Co"

2.

Some examples of names which may be allowed

against "Hands Limited" would be:

*

*

Hands & Son Limited (or Ltd, Public Limited

Company or PLC);

Hands (UK) Limited (or Ltd, Public Limited

Company or PLC);

*Hands Bros Limited (or Ltd, Public Limited

Company or PLC);

* Hand Limited (or Ltd, Public Limited Company

or PLC);

*

Ands Limited (or Ltd, Public Limited

Company or PLC);

* Hands & Co (UK) Limited (or Ltd, Public

Limited Company or PLC).

It is important that you should be aware that whilst a company name may be sufficiently different from a name already on the Index to allow it to be registered, this might not be

enough to avoid the names being considered "too

like" each other if an objection is received after incorporation. In such cases your company could be directed to change its name.

3.