How to Manage Intellectual Property After a Change to Your Company Name

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Whether it's due to a new market entry or following a merger, acquisition, or IP infringement claim, there are several reasons why a business might change its company name. However, the key challenge comes when a business needs to implement changes that reflect its new corporate identity.

A change to a company name may sound straightforward, but it can be complicated to oversee, as marketing and IP teams will both attest. From visual changes required to branding—such as logos, designs, advertisements, social media profiles, packaging, and signage—to the need to update existing intellectual property (IP) registrations and potentially file new IP rights, changing the name of a legal entity requires time and precision to manage.

What Steps Are Involved in Changing a Company Name?

Step 1: Check the Chosen Name is Available

When a business selects a new legal entity name, it should first perform a trademark search to ensure that the name is available. This is particularly important if the legal name is also used as the brand name to sell goods and/or services. Understanding how to search for and protect a new business name is beneficial when conducting a trademark search. Here, it can help to work with a trademark clearance specialist who can help you search in your target regions cost-effectively.

Step 2: Protect & Implement Your New Company Name

Once the name is cleared and registered, the business can prepare to change the company name in applicable channels. For example, it may need to register and set up the appropriate domain names and social media profiles with the new legal name and rebrand digital marketing assets, such as logos and images, downloadable documents, advertisements, email signatures, and other communications materials. The company description should also be updated on company website pages, such as press releases, blogs, footers, company description pages, and external social media locations.

Where applicable, these changes should be reflected in offline channels, such as office and retail store signage, product labeling and packaging, delivery trucks and/or company car branding, and customer-facing displays. These online and offline changes to the corporate identity are mainly considered marketing activities. However, rebranding is a timely and costly exercise for a business, so it’s important to work closely with the marketing team to clearly communicate the necessary changes from a legal perspective as efficiently and accurately as possible.

Step 3: Update IP Recordals

If a business decides to legally change the company name, it will also need to update the ownership information for all IP rights held by the business, including IP registered in foreign countries. Rights are updated via the IP recordals process through which a business ensures the rights and benefits of IP ownership are conferred accurately both locally and globally.

Download Our Guide to the IP Recordals Process

Defining the scope of IP recordals projects in advance will provide the insight you need to plan, schedule, and manage the IP recordals process effectively. Download our eBook to discover key key steps to success.

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How to Get Started When Planning a Change to a Company Name

The most important consideration when making a change to a company name is to conduct a trademark search and ensure that the chosen name is available to register as a company name and a trademark. Separate applications may be required if the business is operating in multiple markets. When the business has adequately protected the company name, it should reflect this change across all assets and channels to prevent any confusion with customers, partners, and business stakeholders. It will also protect the business from opportunists who may take advantage of the transition.

Working with a trademark search and IP recordals specialist, such as Questel, can help your business protect its IP during a company name change. Contact our subject matter experts today to find out more about trademark searching and the IP recordals process.