FIRMA A ZNAK TOWAROWY – ZARYS PROBLEMATYKI
BUSINESS NAME AND THE TRADEMARK – OUTLINE OF THE ISSUE

Summary/Abstract: Performing business activity frequently involves offering certain goods or services. Their identification with a particular entrepreneur is important both for consumers and entrepreneurs offering them. There are two concepts helpful in this regard - business name and trademark. On the grounds of the Civil Code, the entrepreneur operates under the business name. Therefore, in the legal system the business name determines the entrepreneur. However, according to the Act on industrial property, a trade mark can be anysigned which is possible to be presented in a graphical way, if such a sign is capable of distinguishing the goods of one entrepreneur from those of other entrepreneurs. Thus, the trademark is intended to facilitate distinguishing the goods originating from a particular entrepreneur. The trademark therefore serves a different purpose than the business name whose function is the individualization of the entrepreneur as a legal entity. In practice, however, there is the problem of conflict of right to the business name and the trademark rights.

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