Naming your business

Picking a business and/or product name can be tricky. The more a name describes the product/business the more the name is not protectable. Pick a generic name and get instant recognition--but anybody else can use the name also. Building a reputation into an unusual nondescriptive name takes time and effort, but usually yields a more protectable name. But don't choose a name chosen by somebody else because then you risk trademark infringement/dilution liability. These precepts making choosing a name difficult. Nolo recently published an article on "Picking a Winning Name for your Business" which discusses some of these issues, and others.