You put a great deal of effort in choosing the perfect name for your business. You registered the business with the Secretary of State in every state in which you operate. That’s all you need to own your business name, right? Wrong.
Registering your business with the Secretary of State only means no other business in your state has the exact same name. There could be businesses in other states with the exact same name, or very similar names. There could even be a business in your state that is operating as a sole proprietorship under an assumed name that