What is the correct way to make sure that the business name we choose is not taken or infringing on someone else's name?
That's an increasingly difficult problem as with the Internet even local businesses may harbor (or assert) international goals.
Some quick things that might show you that the name is "taken" or that you'd be courting obvious trouble:
(1) check with your state's secretary of state's office and see if there is any other corporation wth a name that is identical or close that is incorporated in or qualified to do business there;
(2) check to see if there is any registered federal trademak that is close; go to http://www.uspto.gov or any state trademark;
(3) do an Internet business search for that name in business directories like http://www.InfoSpace.com or http://www.InfoUSA or http://www.bigyellow.com;
(4) do an internet search of the proposed name in Google.com and other good search engines;
(5) check to see if someone has taken the name as an Internet domain name, using http://www.register.com.
Then assuming the name looks clear, be sure to get a trademark registration filed as soon as you can.
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