Name checking service for companies - instructions
Write the name you propose for the company in the search box and press Search. The service searches the company names and trademarks at the Trade Register and Trademark Register, and compares the proposed name with those already registered or pending.
The proposed name is also compared with other names such as family names, place names, names at the Trade Register, domestic and international trademarks. International trademarks include the trademarks administered by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). You can check in the Finnish trademark register if Finland is designated and in the EU trademark register (link) if the EU, including Finland, is designated. This service does not show EU trademarks. Go to the EUIPO website and check in the EU trademark database.
Go to the Finnish trademark database.Open link in a new tab
Go to the EU trademark database.Open link in a new tab
How to choose company names
Read more about what you have to take into account when planning and registering a company name on the Company name instructions page. Go to the instructions.
Search box
Enter the name to be examined in the Search box, using 2–500 characters. The name must begin with a letter or number. The search will not be carried out if the word you want to use is too common or does not fulfil the criteria given.
The service does not allow you to examine general names formed of commonly used words (such as Ltd, car shop etc.). If you make a search using common words, no search examination will be carried out; instead, the service will ask you to specify the name. The name service accepts the following punctuation marks in company names: . , : ´ & - ( ) + / " !, but cannot accept more than two punctuation marks in succession.
PRH checks the registrability of company names
The Trade Register will not examine the actual registrability of a company name before your notification has become pending. The Trade Register staff cannot advise in advance on the registrability of a name or the results provided. Do not print and enclose the result with the notification that you send to the Trade Register.
Number of search results
The number of search results may be in the thousands, so only a reasonable number will be displayed. However, the service shows the total number of hits. Possible bars to the names are shown in order of importance from the top down, with the closest hits first. The service shows the following number of hits to provide a good picture of the whole situation.
- Family names, max. 10 hits
- Companies, max. 200 hits
- Foundations, max. 5 hits
- Domestic trademarks, max. 50 hits
- International trademarks, max. 50 hits
- Geographical names, max. 5 hits