'copy right' for businesses like estate agents

[briSk]

i was just looking around the interweb and noticed that there are two estate agents called 'Bartram'. they must be completely different firms because one seem to have got their act together and one doesn't... and they have different logos etc ('identities' as they call it in the trade).

ones in west midlands and one in northants. so not miles away from each other.

I have never thought about this before but how can this sort of thing be right?

i mean could i start an agency up with the name william h browne?

[ShadowNinja]

Why not? Nobody's heard of that name.

Try setting up a computer company called Microsoft and see how far you get.

Edited by ShadowNinja on Thursday 27th November 13:53

[Mr POD]

It's not copyright it's trade marks. If you bother to register your trademark then you can stop people trading under similar names, in similar industries.
See apple the record company vs apple the computer company to fully understand the legalities.

[off_again]

My son thinks its hillarious to have Timpsons and Thomsons opposite each other in a little shopping centre in my town! Doubt you could confuse the two though.

[Balmoral Green]

Mike Rowsoft, they took the poor bloke for every penny he had, and made him change his name.

[sidekickdmr]

I own "Reflections Valeting UK" and there is a company in Oxford called "Reflections Valeting" and another called "Reflections"

just the way the cookie crumbles.

[BigBen]

Balmoral Green said:

Mike Rowsoft, they took the poor bloke for every penny he had, and made him change his name.

Actually I think they gave him a free X-box

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/01/26/mike_rowe_...

Ben