Sec. 212.

(1) The corporate name of a domestic or foreign corporation formed or existing under or subject to this act shall conform to all of the following:

(a) Shall not contain a word or phrase, or abbreviation or derivative of a word or phrase, which indicates or implies that the corporation is formed for a purpose other than 1 or more of the purposes permitted by its articles of incorporation.

(b) Shall distinguish the corporate name upon the records in the office of the administrator from all of the following:

(i) The corporate name of any other domestic corporation or foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state.

(ii) The corporate name of any corporation subject to the nonprofit corporation act, 1982 PA 162, MCL 450.2101 to 450.3192, or any corporation authorized to conduct affairs in this state under that act.

(iii) A corporate name currently reserved, registered, or assumed under this act or the nonprofit corporation act, 1982 PA 162, MCL 450.2101 to 450.3192.

(iv) The name of any domestic limited partnership or foreign limited partnership as filed or registered under the Michigan revised uniform limited partnership act, 1982 PA 213, MCL 449.1101 to 449.2108, or any name currently reserved or assumed under that act.

(v) The name of any domestic limited liability company or foreign limited liability company as filed or registered under the Michigan limited liability company act, 1993 PA 23, MCL 450.4101 to 450.5200, or any name currently reserved or assumed under that act.

(c) Shall not contain a word or phrase, an abbreviation, or derivative of a word or phrase, the use of which is prohibited or restricted by any other statute of this state, unless in compliance with that restriction.

(2) If a foreign corporation is unable to obtain a certificate of authority to transact business in this state because its corporate name does not comply with the provisions of subsection (1), the foreign corporation may apply for authority to transact business in this state by adding to its corporate name in the application a word, abbreviation, or other distinctive and distinguishing element, or alternatively, adopting for use in this state an assumed name otherwise available for use. If in the judgment of the administrator that name would comply with the provisions of subsection (1), that subsection shall not be a bar to issuing the foreign corporation a certificate of authority to transact business in this state. The certificate issued to the foreign corporation shall be issued in the name applied for and the foreign corporation shall use that name in all its dealings with the administrator and in the transaction of business in this state.

(3) The fact that a corporate name complies with this section does not create substantive rights to the use of that corporate name.

History: 1972, Act 284, Eff. Jan. 1, 1973 ;-- Am. 1974, Act 303, Imd. Eff. Oct. 21, 1974 ;-- Am. 1982, Act 407, Eff. Jan. 1, 1983 ;-- Am. 1989, Act 121, Eff. Oct. 1, 1989 ;-- Am. 1997, Act 118, Imd. Eff. Oct. 24, 1997