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Need Help With Invitation/stationery Company Name

Posted by Anonymous on 1/7/2010 at 12:17 PM ET 250 Points

I need help coming up with a name for my business. I really like my current company name, Ciao Bella Invitations, but I found out another studio has a very similar name, so I have to change it. I can not move forward with the marketing etc. without a new name, so this problem is leaving my company at a standstill.

It is a stationery company that specializes in custom designed wedding invitations and baby announcements. I am a graphic designer and create everything from the invitations, escort cards, menus, thank you cards etc.

The website is www.ciaobellainvitations.com, if you want to get a better idea of the product.

I'd like for the name to have a botique feel, we're definitely not a mass-producing-type company. I pay strong attention to details including paper choices, colors, embellishments and fonts.

I need the name to have a word specific to the product/industry like: paper, invitation, studio, design.

I don't like "cheesy" words like love, heart, forever etc. I do like hip words like chic, smitten, bella etc.

My main problem is that when I come up with an idea and google it, I found out it already exists! Bummer! I really need help...any ideas out there? Thanks!

Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 1/7/2010 at 2:44 PM Accepted

The name you and the other company use are both trade marks. If you and the other company have trade marks that are too close and could cause confusion in the market, the one who was using the trade mark first could ask the other to cease and desist. Note - registering a trade mark is not required - a trademark becomes a trade mark once it starts getting used. So if you were using the name first, you can actually get them to change their name.

On the other hand, if the other company uses Ciao Bellla as part of their name, but are in a different industry, then the fact that you have similar names may not be an issue.

Intellectual property primer info is here, along with a link to a book you may want to consider getting:
http://expandabroad.blogspot.com/2005/12/intellectual-property-primer.html
Posted by Red Plume on 1/7/2010 at 3:11 PM Accepted

Christina,

That is a bummer about another studio with a similar name. Are you sure that changing your name is the best idea? Of course, I'm asking without knowledge of your history but am thinking aloud. If you have been in business for a bit, you may already have had great experiences with your current name. And if you love it, if it really fits you perfectly, fight for it.

But if you have definitely decided to change, maybe these names will spark an idea:
Paper Bella Design (thinking paper dolls)
Blue Bella Invitations
Buona Sera Invitations
Plush Paper Design
Smitten Studio
Paper Flame Invitations
Amore Invitations
Coquette Design (or Paper Design)
Bellissimo Design

Best of luck,
KMH
Posted by mgoodman on 1/7/2010 at 3:17 PM Accepted

Did you know that Ciao Bella Designs (ciaobelladesigns.org) has the following notice on their homepage:

Because of Trademark issues, Ciao Bella Designs has now changed their name to Nonsensical Invitations.

If this is who you were worried about, you may not have to change your name at all. They did.

And if it's ciaobelladesigns.com you're worried about, it looks like they may be brand new, so you may have more right to the name than they do.

Don't roll over too quickly. And if you do have to change, try to keep the Ciao Bella part, even if you have to use your own name in addition (e.g., Ciao Bella Christina, etc.).
Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 1/8/2010 at 9:02 AM Accepted

If you like the Italian naming, here are some other names that may work for you:

Buona Fortuna Invitations (Good Luck)
Ti Amo Invitations (I Love You)
Benvenuta Invitations (Welcome)
Posted by NovaHammer on 1/9/2010 at 8:38 PM Accepted

Following Jays direction Paradiso Graphic Studio from the 1988 boutique hit "Cinema Paradiso" about love, growth and life. Site name is available if a change is really warranted.

Also noted your mailbox was in French ....not Italian.
Very classy feel to the site, nicely done...
Do you find the music idea a success?
Posted on 1/10/2010 at 5:54 PM Author

Thank you everyone for your response! I just signed up as a member of this site, and this is my first question...I am very impressed with the suggestions/advice!

A little background...
I am actually a start up company. I have been working professionally as a corporate graphic designer for 8 years, but my passion is in social invitations. I was always designing wedding invitations and baby announcements etc. on the side for family and friends, so about 6 months ago I decided I'd try to make it grow into a business.

I decided my first step was to develop a website. I wanted to set it up immediately and needed a web domain, so that's when I chose ciaobellainvitations.com. I liked the way it sounded and thought it fit me well, since I am of Italian decent. A month later I was surfing the web and I google the name, and that's when I ran into problems. I found ciaobelladesigns.com (this is what mgoodman referred to) The owner of that site posted on their page that they changed their name due to trademark issues. When I read that, I assumed that if they had trademark issues, I would run into the same problem. I emailed them, hoping I could get some answers. I tried to explain my situation and inquired what exactly were the problems they ran into. But they never responded to me.

There is also a semi-popular gelato Ice cream chain called ciao bella. Would that be a problem for me?

I guess I don't understand this trademark issue. I just want to be sure that what I am doing is legal! I don't want to get into trouble later. I guess that is why I am thinking about changing the name...just to avoid any problems in the future.
Posted by mbarber on 1/19/2010 at 8:16 PM Accepted

Gidday Christina

Rather than the hello/good-bye beautiful, why not the good morning beautiful instead? That would give you Buono Giorno Bella as the business name.

Again it looks like you might be or are about to be in a different area of business from the Designs company so you may not have an issue with the business trademark - always research before you jump out of your plan - you may be okay.

Buono fortuna
Marcus :-)