trademark corporate-law name trade-name
Can I use the name of an out-of-business company for my project?
<p>There was a business with a name I want to use for my business but it is out-of-business. Do I have the right to use a name of an out-of-business company? I am in Israel but my business is international.</p>
<p>Company status: Dissolved.</p>
<p>Note that the nature of the business is different for that dissolved company and for me.</p>

<p>Generally speaking, trademarks need to be in continued use to be protected, and if the company that used a name is dissolved in the place where it was organized, it is probably fair to assume that it is no longer in use.</p>
<p>But, to some extent, the legal steps that the company took to protect it's name and brands matters. There are several different regimes of legal protection of intellectual property rights in company names and trademarks.</p>
<p>What happened when the company dissolved also matters.</p>
<p>For example, the Buick automobile manufacturing company hasn't existed as a separate company from General Motors, since General Motors acquired it and the right to use its brand and names roughly a century ago. But even though the Buick company was dissolved, someone else acquired the right to use the name to sell cars, so anyone else trying to use the Buick company name to sell cars could be sued by General Motors.</p>
<p>If you used their name, could you think of anyone who could claim that they were unjustly harmed by your use of the name to sell the same kinds of goods that they did? If so, there is real legal risk. If not, you are probably in the clear.</p>
<p>Since the nature of the business is, according to the question different, it seems likely that this wouldn't be a problem.</p>
