corporate name is the name and signature by which a commercial company is known, whether it is a limited liability company or a joint-stock company.
Also called business firm, corporate name and trade name, the corporate name is the name that is in the company's incorporation document or in the deed and is used in legal documents and contracts.
The corporate name is the name under which a legal entity is individualized and carries out its activities and is registered with the Board of Trade or not registry.
It is not possible to register a company name already used by another company in the same state, so it is important to do a search before requesting the registration of the name.
Generally, the corporate name is composed of three parts: a specific designation, O main branch and the company's framework. See the corporate name examples:
- Coca-Cola Industry Ltd
- Banco Santander Brasil SA
- Maria da Silva Pereira - MEI
At the end of the name is the acronym that identifies the legal nature of the company. There are 6 possibilities for framing a company:
- Ltda: when there is a limited number of members;
- EIRELI: 'Limited Liability Individual Company', usually constituted by one partner;
- SA: 'Sociedade Anônima' are publicly traded companies;
- EPP: 'Small Business' companies that are part of the Simples Nacional program and earn between 120 thousand and 1.2 million reais per year;
- ME: 'Micro-company' are companies opting for Simples Nacional with annual revenues of up to 120 thousand reais;
- MEI: 'Individual Micro-entrepreneur', with sales of up to 80 thousand reais.
know more about Ltd., EIRELI and anonymous society.
Difference between corporate name and trade name
While the corporate name is the registration name, used for legal, formal and administrative purposes, the trade name is the name used for the company disclosure, is the name by which the company is recognized by its customers. The trade name of Coca-Cola Indústria Ltda, for example, is just Coca-Cola.
The fancy name may be the same as the corporate name, but it is common for it to be different, for it to be a shorter and simpler name that facilitates brand marketing.
The trade name can be registered on the INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property). This registration is optional and it is the registration of the trademark. When a trademark is registered it is represented with a small 'R' in a circle.
Once a trademark is registered, it becomes an asset and can be licensed for use in franchises and branches.
See also the meaning of CNPJ, legal nature and company.