Effective: June 6, 2001
Latest Legislation: House Bill 94 - 124th General Assembly
(A) No business trust that has made a filing pursuant to section 1746.04 of the Revised Code may use the words "Incorporated," "Corporation," "Inc.," "Co.," "Partnership," "Ltd.," or derivatives thereof in its name.
(B) No business trust formed after the effective date of this chapter that has made a filing pursuant to section 1746.04 of the Revised Code shall assume the name of any corporation established under the laws of this state, or of a corporation, firm, or association, or trust whether or not as defined in section 1746.01 of the Revised Code, or of an individual, carrying on business in this state at the time when the business trust is created, or assume a name so similar thereto as to be likely to be mistaken for it, except with the written consent of such existing corporation, firm, association, or trust, or of such individual, previously or concurrently filed with the secretary of state.
(C) The secretary of state shall refuse to receive for filing the trust instrument of a business trust if it appears to the secretary of state to have violated any provision of this section. The courts of common pleas of this state shall have jurisdiction, upon the application of any person interested or affected, to enjoin a business trust from transacting business under any name in violation of any provision of this section, notwithstanding that the trust instrument of such business trust has been received for filing under section 1746.04 of the Revised Code.
(D) Any person who wishes to reserve a name for a proposed new business trust, or any business trust intending to change its name, may submit to the secretary of state a written application for the exclusive right to use a specified name as the name of a business trust. If the secretary of state finds that, under this section, the specified name is available for such use, the secretary of state shall indorse the secretary of state's approval upon and file such application and, from the date of such indorsement, such applicant shall have the exclusive right for one hundred eighty days to use the specified name as the name of a business trust, counting the date of such indorsement as the first of the one hundred eighty days. The right so obtained may be transferred by the applicant or other holder thereof by the filing in the office of the secretary of state of a written transfer stating the name and address of the transferee. For filing any application for the exclusive right to use a specified name under this division, the secretary of state shall charge and collect the fee specified in division (S)(1) of section 111.16 of the Revised Code. For each filing of a transfer of the right to an exclusive name under this division, the secretary of state shall charge and collect the fee specified in division (S)(4) of section 111.16 of the Revised Code.
(E) Any business trust that has not made the filings described under section 1746.04 of the Revised Code may submit to the secretary of state a written application for the exclusive right to use a specified name as the name of such business trust. If the secretary of state finds that, under this section, the specified name is available for such use, the secretary of state shall indorse the secretary of state's approval upon and file such application and, from the date of such indorsement, such applicant has the exclusive right to use the specified name for the period that it transacts business. The right so obtained may be transferred by the applicant or other holder thereof by the filing in the office of the secretary of state of a written transfer stating the name and address of the transferee. For filing an application for the exclusive right to use a specified name under this division, the secretary of state shall charge and collect the fee specified in division (S)(1) of section 111.16 of the Revised Code.