Registering your fake business name is one of the legal requirements you must meet if you want to launch a business in Alabama. A trade name, DBA (doing business as), or assumed name are further terms for false business names. It’s not your legal business name; it’s the name under which your company will operate. We’ll walk you through the steps of registering a fake business name in Alabama in this post.
Step 1: Determine whether your name is accessible Make sure your fictitious business name is not already in use before registering it. To do this, use the online database maintained by the Alabama Secretary of State. If your name is available, move on to the following action.
Second step: submit a name registration form You must submit a Name Registration Form to the probate court in the county where your business is located in order to register your fictitious business name. The form is available from the probate court or can be downloaded from their website. You must include your company name, legal name, and business address. A filing fee, which varies by county, is also required.
Step 3: Issue a Notice You must issue a notice of your fictitious business name in a newspaper in the county where your business is located after submitting your Name Registration Form. For four weeks in a row, the notice must be published once each week. The probate court will require evidence of publication from you.
Renew your Registration in Step 4
Your registration for a fictitious business name is good for five years. Following that, you must renew it by submitting a renewal form to the probate court together with the appropriate money. How to Freely Register a Name as a Trademark Your fictitious business name has now been registered; you could want to trademark it to prevent others from using it. Even while there is no cheap way to trademark a name, you can do it yourself without retaining legal counsel. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) accepts online trademark applications. However, it’s preferable to contact a trademark attorney if you want to make sure that your application is accepted.
How to Keep Your Company Name Safe You may safeguard your fake business name by both registering it and trademarking it. There are additional measures you can take to safeguard it, though. For instance, you can keep an eye out for any unauthorized use of your name on the internet and on social media. A cease-and-desist letter can be sent to anyone using your name without your consent. How to Disguish Your Trademark Address Your address is made public when you submit a trademark application. To keep your personal address confidential, you might use a PO Box or a mail forwarding service as your trademark address. Additionally, you can pay a trademark lawyer to represent you in court process serving. Is it Possible to Trademark an Address? A trademark cannot be used for an address. Not addresses, but names, logos, and phrases connected to a business are protected by trademarks. However, if your address is distinctive and special, you may utilize it as a part of your trademark. You might be eligible to trademark it, for instance, if your company name is “123 Main” and your address is 123 Main Street.
No, you can’t just trademark a single number. A number must be a component of a special and distinctive design or logo that separates your products or services from those of competitors in order to qualify for trademark protection. The number must also be used commercially to distinguish and identify your goods and services. However, if the number is combined with additional components like words, drawings, or colors, you might be able to trademark it.