inc after a business name

[UKSBD]

I assume inc. after a business name stands for incorporated?
Are there any restrictions on using inc?

 

[DotNetWebs]

Isn't that a term used for companies incorporated in the USA?

I would guess that as with 'Ltd' you are only permitted to use it if your are actually incorporated.

Regards

Dotty

 

[Gratis Guidance]

Its an American term, we use Limited in the UK, which is only legal after you have registered your company name at companies house

I don't think there is a legal restriction on using inc. in the UK, but it doesn't mean anything, and you may find some people will get confused by your legal status!

 

[UKSBD]

I've just had a business register in my directory using it after their name,
quick search at companies house doesn't find them, so just wondering if
they are breaking any regulations?

 

[mhall]

As they are not incorporated I would suggest that, at the very least, they are making themselves look silly unless they are using it tongue in cheek like "Monsters Inc"
I am not aware of any specific law but I would personally say they are guilty of using misleading advertising as you could say they are attempting to mislead the public into making them believe they are incorporated

 

[VeryMark]

I am not aware of any specific prohibition on, or regulation of, use of the terms "inc" or "incorporated" in this country.

However, it might possibly be argued that use of either of these terms in the name of an unincorporated business could be be misleading under the new legislation which replaced the Trade Descriptions Act 1968, which was brought in under the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (Dir 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 concerning unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices in the internal market and amending Council Dir 84/450/EEC, Dirs 97/7/EC, 98/27/EC, and 2002/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council).

This new legislation takes the form of two implementing statutory instruments, namely The Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations and The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.

It is therefore possible that a complaint might result in action by a local trading standards officer, as the two statutory instruments in question are so wide and vague in scope as to potentially catch use of any business description or terminology which might perhaps be misleading.

 

[Ozzy]

I've just had a business register in my directory using it after their name,
quick search at companies house doesn't find them, so just wondering if
they are breaking any regulations?

Are they listing themselves as a UK based business? If so, then it is possible that Philip's comments come into play.

If they are listing themselves as an American company, then they very well could be a US registered company. However, as you are a UK directory then I suspect the former.

 

[UKSBD]

It's a british business, but from looking at website just looks like a kid or
a bedroom business.

Can't see any harm in leaving the listing up, I was more intrigued than
anything else as to whether there are any regs on using inc.

 

[Cornish Steve]

I've just had a business register in my directory using it after their name,
quick search at companies house doesn't find them, so just wondering if
they are breaking any regulations?

Sounds like an American company with maybe a local office in Britain.

 

[estwig]

It's not Mystery.inc is it??