Misleading business name
<p>What legal actions can be taken against a company that uses manipulative naming tactics, such as including the word 'All' in its name, in order to mislead or confuse customers?</p>
<p>Are there any laws or regulations in place to prevent companies from using deceptive names or branding, and what can consumers do to protect themselves from such practices?  For example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>AllFood Restaurant, AllBank</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Are there any laws or regulations in place to prevent companies from using deceptive names or branding</strong>?</p>
<p><a href="/questions/tagged/united-kingdom" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;united-kingdom&#39;" aria-label="show questions tagged &#39;united-kingdom&#39;" rel="tag" aria-labelledby="tag-united-kingdom-tooltip-container">united-kingdom</a></p>
<p><strong>Yes</strong>.</p>
<p>The applicable legislation may be found in the Companies Act 2006.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/section/1198?timeline=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Section 1198</a> states that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(1) A person must not carry on business in the United Kingdom under a name that gives so misleading an indication of the nature of the activities of the business as to be likely to cause harm to the public</p>
<p>(2) A person who uses a name in contravention of this section commits an offence.</p>
<p>[...]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Also a further provision at <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/section/54?timeline=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Section 54</a> states that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(1) The approval of the Secretary of State is required for a company to be registered under this Act by a name that would be likely to give the impression that the company is connected with—</p>
<ul>
<li><p>(a) Her (<em>sic</em>) Majesty's Government, any part of the Scottish administration, the Welsh Assembly Government or Her Majesty's Government in Northern Ireland,</p>
</li>
<li><p>(b) a local authority, or</p>
</li>
<li><p>(c) any public authority specified for the purposes of this section by <strong>regulations made by the Secretary of State</strong>.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>[...]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The Regulations referred to above are the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3140/contents" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Company, Limited Liability Partnership and Business Names (Sensitive Words and Expressions) Regulations 2014</a> which lists, at <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3140/schedule/1?timeline=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Schedule 1</a>, a host of words and expressions that are prohibited or require approval as the case may be.</p>
<p>This list is far too long to reproduce in full, but by way of example it includes:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Bank</p>
<p>Charity</p>
<p>Child support</p>
<p>Police</p>
<p>Royal</p>
<p>Stock exchange</p>
<p>University</p>
</blockquote>

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