Review
A good straightforward introduction to the reasons why a name has to be protected and how to do so, Phillip Williams's book is a pleasure to read. The use of line drawings gives the book a feeling of style. While the relevance to the text is not always clear, the drawings are entertaining. The author makes good use of a wide variety of typefaces and fonts and the layout allows for plenty of white space, which does not overtax the eye... This book is recommended. -- Legal Publishing Preview, April, 1992
This humorously illustrated handbook presents facts, questions and problems-legal, aesthetic, and practical-in a crisply written presentation that informs and entertains readers at the same time. Major sections give an overview of commercial names, cover the creative process of naming, and discuss the legal aspects of choosing a name. Williams offers imaginative and practical exercises for choosing a name for a business, product, or service. -- American Library Association's Booklist, January 1991
What's in a name? Just possibly the chances for success, according to Phillip Williams, author of Naming Your Business and Its Products and Services. Every business needs a name, but choosing one can be fraught with legal and commercial complications. Williams walks start-up entrepreneurs through the intricacies of name-choosing, including why family names and initials might be the worst choices for a small business, how to conduct a trademark search, and how to establish legal ownership of your trademark. -- New Business Opportunities, May, 1991
Williams knows why the name of a business is especially important. It projects an image, establishes an identity. It is not an overstatement to say that some businesses have failed because of a poor choice for their name. The author also knows how to go about researching and creating a name for a business. Research of the records of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is essential. To come up with a company name, he goes over every angle-statement of one's aspirations, connotation of quality, indicator of location, use of the names of famous people, humor, foreign words, and others. -- The Small Press Book Review, Sept/Oct 1991
This humorously illustrated handbook presents facts, questions and problems-legal, aesthetic, and practical-in a crisply written presentation that informs and entertains readers at the same time. Major sections give an overview of commercial names, cover the creative process of naming, and discuss the legal aspects of choosing a name. Williams offers imaginative and practical exercises for choosing a name for a business, product, or service. -- American Library Association's Booklist, January 1991
What's in a name? Just possibly the chances for success, according to Phillip Williams, author of Naming Your Business and Its Products and Services. Every business needs a name, but choosing one can be fraught with legal and commercial complications. Williams walks start-up entrepreneurs through the intricacies of name-choosing, including why family names and initials might be the worst choices for a small business, how to conduct a trademark search, and how to establish legal ownership of your trademark. -- New Business Opportunities, May, 1991
Williams knows why the name of a business is especially important. It projects an image, establishes an identity. It is not an overstatement to say that some businesses have failed because of a poor choice for their name. The author also knows how to go about researching and creating a name for a business. Research of the records of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is essential. To come up with a company name, he goes over every angle-statement of one's aspirations, connotation of quality, indicator of location, use of the names of famous people, humor, foreign words, and others. -- The Small Press Book Review, Sept/Oct 1991
From the Back Cover
The names of most businesses are poorly chosen, miring their owners and employees in low expectations and shoddy performance and failing to capture the imagination of their clients. No matter how small or large the business, whether profit or not-for-profit, incorporated or unincorporated, naming can play a decisive role in its success or failure. The business that employs a name that someone else is already using-or a name too similar to someone else's-faces various legal repercussions. This book fully explains the ins and outs of selecting legally defendable as well as commercially effective names for one's business (trade names), one's products (trademarks), and one's services (service marks). For businesses already operating under a questionable name, this guide suggests a workable solution.
