How do I choose and reserve a federal corporate name?
What 'distinctive' actually screens out, how confusion review differs from trademark risk, and when reserving a federal name is worth it.
Topic
Names & brand
Trade names, NUANS, trademarks, and protecting what your business is called.
Answers
How do I choose and reserve a corporate name federally or provincially?
What the federal, Ontario, and Alberta name choice turns on, how the mechanics differ once you decide, and where risk survives a clear report.
How do I choose and reserve a corporate name in Alberta?
Named versus number name in Alberta, why the 90-day NUANS window matters, and when registering a trade name beats incorporating.
How do I choose and reserve a corporate name in Ontario?
Word name versus numbered name in Ontario, the naming rules to check, ordering an Ontario-biased NUANS, and reading it for conflicts.
What is the difference between a numbered and named corporation in Alberta?
What each Alberta name type actually is, when the NUANS step is skipped, and the objection risk a chosen name carries in practice.