Can some clear this one up for me?

If someone called themselves, say, "Sheffield <photography, printers, taxi, e.t.c> ltd" do they still have to get permission to use the word "Sheffield" before they can use it or does this permission only applies to when the company is Steel related.

Interesting question John. My company is Called Management Bank Recruitment & we had to get permission from the Bank of England to register the name before we started trading. Would anyone at Business Link or the Chamber of Commerce know?

ive
heard it was just steel related but not too sure..would like to know though

from the companies house web site:

Sheffield - if you wish to use a name that includes the word 'Sheffield', we will need to establish details of the company's location and its business activities. We will also consult the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire.

http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/gbhtml/gbf2.shtml#three

Oh no, what about if it's just a website name, with the site being run by one person? Would i still need to register on Companies House for this?

Oh no, what about if it's just a website name, with the site being run by one person? Would i still need to register on Companies House for this?

only if your starting a limited company

When you try to form a company with "Sheffield" in the name the process is a little more difficult than to form a company without Sheffield in the name.

There is a form to complete in which you have to explain your connection to Sheffield and how you will use the name and your business.

A decision is taken then to see if you can use Sheffield.

I have formed a couple of companies with Sheffield in the name and both were OK.

As long as the business is in Sheffield, the directors and shareholders live in Sheffield, and Sheffield will benefit from the business I don't think there will be any problems.

"Sheffield" used to be a restricted name under the Companies Act but the Companies Act 2006 no restricts the name Sheffield. - As someone earlier pointed out it was to do with steel.

only if your starting a limited company

After some digging around I found that this applies to sole traders and partnerships as well.

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?r.l1=1073858805&r.l3=1073859929&r.lc=en&r.t=RESOURCES&type=RESOURCES&itemId=1073788944&r.i=1073788945&r.l2=1073859131&r.s=sc

Oh no, what about if it's just a website name, with the site being run by one person? Would i still need to register on Companies House for this?

this site is www.sheffieldforum.co.uk...:)

:hihi: well yes, but i don't know the ins and outs of it's set up :P

I don't think you'll have a problem with the word 'Sheffield', especially if it is just going to be used for your website.

The only time you MAY need to gain permission is if it was the name of a registered company. There are some regulations which have a list of all the words which need special permission and these are usually words like 'royal' or 'international'.

Hope this helps a bit more.

Sheffield is a registered trade mark and anybody who uses the name for business purposes has to have permisssion from the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

This covers all buisiness types, self-employed, partneships, limited companies and PLCs. It soes not matter what the line of business is and the trademark does not just apply to steel companies. However as far as I understand the trade mark is doe's not cover domain names.

For someone to use the trade mark 'Sheffield' the business must have offices located in the City of Sheffield and have the permission of the 'Secretary of State for Trade and Industry' to use the name. If you don't have permission then you are trading illegally as you are infringing the trade mark and legal action will be taken against you.

If you have a legitimate business and want to use the name then you should have no problem getting the permission.

With the amount of interest in copyright theft that is happening at the moment I would reccomend anyone using the trade mark to make sure they have permission or to apply for permission to use the name.

dont panic...

sounds painful but its not, i set a business up with the name sheffield in and it was no hassle... we named the company first, paid for signage, stationary, bank accounts etc then found out we had an issue

you have to apply for approval but as long as you can prove that its a business in sheffield and the its relevent then you will ave no problem.

You cant have a business called sheffield Blah blah etc if the business is based in another town and is unrelated to sheffield from what i understood

Thanks god our company is City Deal of the Day! Sounds like alot of hassle over a name!

<...>
However as far as I understand the trade mark is doe's not cover domain names.
<...>Good summary post for lay people, but in relation specifically to the portion I have highlighted, registered trade marks (especially word marks) are highly relevant to domain names as well.

E.g. they are the easiest/best 'weapon' to use in domain name dispute resolutions (Nominet, ICANN, etc.)

It's a good question. Personally I can't see as it matters what you call your business so long as it doesn't exactly copy someone elses business name. But unfortunately the Master Cutlers of Sheffield have gained the "Right" to the name "Sheffield". Therefore, if you want to add "Sheffield" to your business name you must seek the permission of the Master Cutlers at Cutlers Hall, Church Street, Sheffield.

I wanted to add "Gleadless Valley" to my new business name, but to save any arguements over the rights and wrongs of doing so I've settled for simply adding the initials G V. I've decided (in my business name) the initials don't stand for Gleadless Valley, they stand for...... Ah well, I'll let you guess.

Simple, if it is not used by any business, then you can have it.

Simple, if it is not used by any business, then you can have it.If it smells like spam, looks like spam, tastes like spam, etc. ;):P