If you believe that a company name registered in the Business Register in Brønnøysund can be easily confused with the name of your own company or your trademark, you can lodge a complaint at the Norwegian Industrial Property Office. The same applies if the company name infringes your rights to a protected personal name.

Only company names registered in the Business Register can be appealed. Company names that are only registered in the Unit Register fall outside the scheme. You can read more about the Business Register on the website of the Brønnøysund Register Centre (in Norwegian).

A company name that is easily confused with others means, for example, that it is similar to your business name or trademark, either in how the names look or are written or in how they are pronounced. The decisive factor is whether other people (your potential customers) are likely to mistake them.

Time limit

Any complaint you submit must be received by NIPO within three years from the date when the company name, which you believe may be easily confused with your own business name or trademark, was formally registered.

How do I proceed?

A complaint, or to be more correct, request for administrative review of a business name registration, must be submitted in writing to the NIPO. The best way to proceed is to fill in the form "Krav om administrativ overprøving av foretaksnavnregistrering" (PDF-fil). NB: The form is only in Norwegian. ("Request for administrative review of the business name registration"). The request must contain the business name (including organisation number) you wish to be reviewed. You must also specify which rights you consider to be infringed – a business name or a trademark. We will send you an invoice for payment of the complaint fee.

Price

It costs NOK 4000 to have the complaint considered. You will receive an invoice by post after we have received the complaint.