how do I find out if a company name is original

[JohnG]

I just want to officially state now that I despise American copyright and Trademark laws. lol

[JohnG]

I have found the ultimate solution.  Go me.

I'm just gonna use my name, it worked for Steve Jackson after all.

If I'm not mistaken, you can't Trademark your name so I can skip that whole process, I hope, maybe? Right? lol

[Erick Wujcik]

I have found the ultimate solution.  Go me.

I'm just gonna use my name, it worked for Steve Jackson after all.

If I'm not mistaken, you can't Trademark your name so I can skip that whole process, I hope, maybe? Right? lol

1. Yes, it is possible to trademark your name.

2. "Steve Jackson Games," as far as I know (and I don't have a batch of his books at hand to examine) is not a trademarked name. I don't know the reasons, but it might have something to do with the 'other' Steve Jackson in the British game industry. I'm not sure which 'Steve Jackson' hit prominence first, but I know that, back in the late 1970s and early 1980s they were BOTH famous for a lot of original game designs.

3. "Gurps" is, indeed, a registered trademark.

Assuming that your name is fairly unique, it's a good idea.

On the other hand, I deliberately chose NOT to apply my name to my company because (1) nobody can pronounce it, and (2) both my first and last names are widely mis-spelled (not good for web access!).

Erick

[JohnG]

my name is fairly unique, commonly misspelled but there are many companies [Bethesda software of Morrowind fame] with names that could easily be misspelled so I'm not worried about it.