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legalizing your name...

L

Libby

Don't know if thats the correct term but...this is for producing all my own work...under the name I choose...so that anything I do would be under that name.

If I wanted to use Libby Films (an example) what do I do to ensure:

A. No one else uses it from here on in and
B. No one else has that name

Where do I start?

Merci.
 
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I went to the Secretary of State (Colorado) and before I could become an LLC I had to see if there was any other business with that name. Then I filled out an Articles of Corporation and thus became Soggy Mop Productions.
 
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A trademark is a name, word, phrase, logo, design or image.
Usually it’s a combination of these elements. What Libby wants is
to register either a fictitious business name (as Denny mentions)
or to form a corporation. Unless the example - “Libby films” -
also includes a distinctive logo or design(think of the Coca-Cola
or 7-Up design) a trademark is not what’s needed.

This can all be done on line without a lawyer. Check your state’s
website for info on filing a fictious business name.
 
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No Dready it costed me $75 bucks to get an LLC in Nevada. Fees vary, but you don't need a lawyer you can do it yourself.

-Trademark is cool to but that just gets your name in stone, and it cost more. I would go with creating a legal entity so now your covered legally and your name is locked. TM comes later.
 
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Dreadylocks
For a production company in Colorado you don't have to have a license.
Here's a breakdown:
EIN- FREE
Articles of Organization- $50

Starting your own production company...priceless

You don't need a lawyer just yet, if at all. Denver has a small business development center and they have classes. Even though I have finished all the paperwork and am a company I'm still going to take their start up class to make sure I got everything. IT is $25
 
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You can also DBA (Doing Business As...) your company, it'll lock the name, but won't offer you the financial protection that an LLC, SCorp or ACorp would do.

The benefit is that the DBA is far cheaper. In MN, a checking account with the business name on it will hold up in court as it's date/time provable by a trusted third party (the bank)... The drawback with this method is that folks who are taking the time to register the name won't find yours in a name search which the DBA, LLC, and Corp methods use to protect your entity - so more legal fees proving it down the road.
 
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This is from Yahoo "Unless the company has trademarked the name, then no other company in the country can use the same name again. For example, you can't use Starbucks as the name of your business

If the name has not been trademarked, a company can incorporate and use a business name that is used by a business in another state. But they cannot use the same name in the same state. Thus there are instances when one business in one state has the same name as another business in another state
Source(s):
Incorporating With Same Company Name in Another State http://www.powerhomebiz.com/guide/cases/…"
 
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