Trademark: Company Name vs. Individual Name
Bottom line: Going overseas, doing B2B, licensing your brand, or selling in many categories → register under the company. Only pick the individual name for a tiny personal brand, a light-asset setup, or when you want to keep the brand separate from company debts. Rules differ a lot by country (EU, US, UK, Southeast Asia, Middle East).
I. Comparison Table (Overseas Trademarks)
表格
| Item | Company Name | Individual Name |
|---|---|---|
| When to use | Factories, cross-border sellers, brand licensing, overseas exhibitions/accounts/sites, later transfers, financing | Independent designers, small private labels, no company, no big licensing |
| Transfer / Licensing | Easy — just stamp the company to license or transfer; great for licensing models | Painful — personal signature needed; many countries want notarized ID for licensing; death means complex inheritance |
| Debt risk | If company owes, trademark is company asset, can be seized (fine if run properly) | If you personally owe, trademark can be seized; tied to your personal debts |
| Renewal / address | Must update owner after company rename/move, or you miss official notices and lose the trademark | Must update on passport change/move; some countries want notarization |
| Entity life | If company is closed, transfer trademark first or it lapses | Lasts as long as you're alive; no loss from company closure |
| Evidence (for lawsuits) | Orders, invoices, customs papers, packaging all in company name — evidence fits, strongest case | All evidence must be in your name; if business runs through the company, the evidence chain breaks and you lose |
| Cost & paperwork | Company certificate, sometimes notarized/legalized, sometimes local agent fee | Passport, sometimes notarized; some countries refuse individual applications |
II. What I'd Recommend for You (overseas clients + brand licensing)
✅ In most cases: register under the [client's own company name]
Licensing is easiest: The company can sign licenses and issue authorization letters directly for platforms, customs, and clearance. Under a personal name, every authorization needs your signature + notarization — clients and factories push back.
Evidence fits naturally: Customs, contracts, packaging, site, store are all the company's, so non-use/opposition cases are easy to win.
Easy handover: Equity changes don't need trademark transfer; a personal trademark causes fights if a shareholder leaves.
When to use an individual name instead:
No overseas company and no plans to form one;
Tiny brand, self-use only;
You fear company bankruptcy would drag in the brand.
⚠️ Downside: Growing big later means transferring to the company = official + notary fees, plus re-collecting usage evidence.
III. Country-Specific Notes (key)
US — Individuals can apply but must use full legal name; evidence must match the holder. If you're a company employee, ownership disputes ("work-for-hire") are likely.
EU (EUIPO) — Both fine; companies are just easier for licensing recordation.
UK, Singapore, Malaysia — Either works.
Middle East (Saudi, UAE) — Many classes reject individuals; go with a company.
India — Individuals can apply but notarization is heavy; a company is safer.
IV. Pitfalls
Keep it consistent: Make the trademark holder match your store, customs, and payment entities, or platforms/customs/courts will question ownership.
Don't believe the isolation myth: Putting the brand in your personal name doesn't shield it from your debts — it can still be seized.
Chinese company registering overseas: Fine — but transfer the trademark out before the company is deregistered, or it becomes void.
Licensing business: If the client will license and collect fees, definitely hold it under the company. Personal-name licensing brings big notarization, verification, tax, and ownership headaches.
V. Short Answer
Foreign trade, cross-border, licensing, multi-factory distribution → company
No company, small self-use brand, no licensing → individual
Middle East → company
