Domain names that are already registered on companies house?

[gr0don]

Hi there,

I currently work in the IT support industry and I am considering setting up on my own as a sole trader- I have already registered a domain name I like the look of, before I took the domain I done a fair amount of searching on Google to make sure there was no conflict and it all looked good. However I see there is a company listed on companies house with the exact same name (except for the LTD part). I was wondering if this could be a problem even though they do not seem to be advertising using the company name, is this likely to be a problem for me further down the road? Companies house states you cannot choose a name too similar to another but I will not be trading as that company name, it will just be used for a website and email address. So I guess companies house rules would not apply to my situation but I don't know if there will be any trademark issues.

The last thing I want to do is setup a website, advertising and hand out business cards just to do it all over again in the future. I would usually just set up a new name but it is hard to get a relevant and memorable domain these days! almost everything I can think of is taken.

Hope the above makes sense

Thanks

Gordon.

 

[kathymac73]

I think it would be best to change the name to something else. To save problems later on


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[crowdcorp]

I sort of agree with Kathy - however since you've forked out your dough on a domain already it's worth doing the following:
check trademark register to see if the name is registered. If it is I'd probably change domains. If not then think about the following:
Does the business with the same name as your domain work in the same industry? What about geographic location? If the answer to both of these is no then you might be okay to stick with your domain. Eg. If there is a company called Gordon Ltd based in Newcastle working as a bakery and you have Gordon.co.uk and are based in Devon and are setup as a SEO consultant then the risk of receiving a complaint that you are passing of yourself as that company are slim. Ultimately it comes down to the level of risk you are happy take

 

[tombuckland]

Going to have to disagree with the above, if you google your company name and not really anything comes up, say for example Steve Toddleford Dentist - Nothing shows up, which means no one called Steve Toddleford owns a dentist....

If when you Google your business name you see someone with that domain 1st then I would recommend changing, but I think you said that wasn't the case as you had to search for them a big.

The only reasons to TOTALLY avoid a name is if it has a branded result in Google, such as what happens when you type in Tesco or next or Costa etc.

 

[gr0don]

Thanks for the replies so far. There is nothing in the trademark register for the name. In companies house it is registered to a residential address, I am guessing it is an individual who is just using the name as a holding company or something (I'm not sure if that is the correct term). The person operates in the same field as me and also in the same city. I can post the links to the domain and company records if anyone thinks it will help? As long as it does not break any rules. Tom you are correct in that the ONLY record I can find relating to this name is on companies house - if I could get the persons contact details I would even send them an email to ask if they mind.

 

[Scalloway]

You can get the company director's details from Companies House WebCHeck. It will cost £1.
There are also free sites that will give you the same information.

http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk//wcframe?name=accessCompanyInfo

 

[Chris Ashdown]

.ltd can only be used by a registered limited company in the UK

 

[fisicx]

if I could get the persons contact details I would even send them an email to ask if they mind.

And what happens next year when they decide to start trading?

Just save yourself a whole lot of bother and choose a different name - all you have lost is a few quid for the registration.

There are zillions for domain name still available. grodon.co.uk is still free and pretty memorable.

 

[Urban Publications]

And what happens next year when they decide to start trading?

Sell them the domain name for a profit

Personally I would change your domain name it isnt worth the hassle later down the line.

 

[Trademarkroom]

Have a play around with this to see if there is a conflicting trademark already registered http://www.ipo.gov.uk/tmtext/

 

[gr0don]

Hi everyone,

I have decided to change the domain name. Given domains are so cheap it is not worth any hassle later on. Thanks for the replies, its always helpful to get opinions

 

[CompuGlobal-Hyper-MegaNet]

Laptop Repairs Ltd don't have an exclusive right to LaptopRepairs.com or .co.uk
but
Hendon Screen Repairs for Compaq Laptops Ltd could put in a good argument that HendonScreen RepairsforCompaqLaptops.co.uk should be theirs and theirs only, as anyone else using that domain will be masquerading as them or confusing consumers