Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

> Besides, in most countries just incorporating/registering our startup as a company would prevent anyone else from using the same name for their company.

So, the question is. Is it good/bad to incorporate using your product/service name as a corp. name? What are the pros and cons?

(Because even if you do, your product will probably end up being called something else in the end)



Author here.

>Is it good/bad to incorporate using your product/service name as a corp. name? What are the pros and cons?

Apart from intellectual property, Unless there is a specific reason not to name our startup with our product name, it's always a good idea to have the same name for our startup as our product in terms of basic branding etiquette.

In countries where duplicate company names for the same product are not allowed, this will serve as an added protection. But it doesn't prevent someone from brandjacking by typosquatting, neither does trademark prevent it, Facebook has enough trademarks as legally possible yet it goes to the length of decloaking domain names to prevent this[2](Not showcasing this as a positive practice).

I've written more about Incorporation & App names here[1].

[1]https://hitstartup.com/when-to-register-our-startup/

[2]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23625977


This is also wrong and slightly English common law centric. A company name does not prevent someone to open a company in the same name in another state. In English common law, using a trade name gives you some protection, using a trademark gives you more protection. Trademarks are for classes. If you sell software under the name cherry cake, nobody is preventing someone to sell shoes or a car with this name since it is a different class.


If your company looks like it may be successful, trademark squatters will trademark your logo/name in non-US countries before you get there.

I am personally aware (clients) of several times this has happened. Settlements to get your TM back start around $100,000.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: