How important is it to have Fictitious Business Name Statement?

If I have XYZ Company and launch a website called ABC.com is it important to file a Fictitious Name Statement in my area because I’m doing business via a web site with a domain name that doesn’t have my company name? Even if it was XYZCompany.com would that still need a Ficitious name Statement filed?

You need to tell us where you are based. That’s because different jurisdictions have different laws on this subject, and what works for one might not apply to another.

That said, in general the purpose of this type of regulation is to prevent businesses from deceiving their customers as to their true identity. Just using a URL that is different from your registered company name is unlikely to do that. But you need to ensure that the URL doesn’t give the impression that you are a different company, otherwise you might be accused of “passing off”, that is, passing yourself off as someone else.

Perhaps the best thing you can do is to put your real company name prominently on every page of the site - preferably with your address and phone number as well. Not only will that help you avoid any legal problems, but it is a sensible marketing tactic as well.

But do take account of what I said about different laws in different jurisdictions. When posting this type of question, we really do need to know which country you are in, and - if applicable - which state or province within the country.

Mike