company name

Complete legal name of a firm, the title by which a formally organized or incorporated firm is known as a legal entity or artificial-person. Shown on the certificate of incorporation (firm's 'birth certificate'), it must be displayed clearly at the firm's legal or registered office, and disclosed on all formal documents such as agreements, checks, and official stationery. To be approved as an acceptable name, it must be distinct from other company names and should not be misleading, offensive, or otherwise illegal. Corporate legislation requires that a company name includes appropriate suffixes (such as corporation, incorporated, limited, private limited, public limited, etc., or their abbreviations) so that the entities dealing with the company know its legal status. All legal rights and obligations (such as to own property, to sue and be sued) accrue to a firm under its name which may be also be registered as a trademark or servicemark, and may be changed only by a special resolution (requiring three-quarters of the votes) of its stockholders (shareholders). Called also corporate name.