New company name registration rules now in force

Amendments to the Norwegian Company Trade Name Regulation have come into force. The amendments have removed the requirement that a company name must be distinctive before it can be registered. The only requirement now is that the company name is not identical to an existing company name.

The distinctive character of a company name will, however, be of importance when determining the scope of protection of that company name. Non-distinctive company names will only be protected against the registration of identical names, while distinctive names will have a broader scope of protection.

A registration in the Company Register does not guarantee rights against third-party interests. The amendments underline the importance of preliminary investigations as to the availability of the relevant company name.

For a background discussion of the changes to the Company Trade Name Regulation, see Norway plans to relax its rules for company name registration.

Felix Reimers, Advokatfirmaet Grette DA, Oslo