§ 55D-23.  Reserved name.

(a) A person may reserve the exclusive use of a name for an entity, including a fictitious name for a foreign corporation, foreign nonprofit corporation, foreign limited liability company, foreign limited partnership, or foreign limited liability partnership whose name is not available, by filing an application with the Secretary of State. The application must set forth the name and address of the applicant and the name proposed to be reserved. If the Secretary of State finds that the name applied for is available, the Secretary of State shall reserve the name for the applicant's exclusive use for a nonrenewable 120-day period.

(b) The owner of a reserved name may transfer the reservation to another person by filing with the Secretary of State a signed notice of the transfer that states the name and address of the transferee.

(c) Any person acquiring the goodwill of a domestic corporation, nonprofit corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, or registered limited liability partnership, or of a foreign corporation, foreign nonprofit corporation, foreign limited liability company, or foreign limited partnership authorized to transact business or conduct affairs in this State, or of a foreign limited liability partnership maintaining a statement of foreign registration in this State may, on furnishing the Secretary of State satisfactory evidence of such acquisition, reserve for 10 years the exclusive right to any name that became available as a result of the acquisition. (1901, c. 2, s. 8; 1903, c. 453; Rev., s. 1137; 1913, c. 5, s. 1; C.S., s. 1114; 1935, cc. 166, 320; 1939, c. 222; G.S., s. 55-2; 1955, c. 1371, s. 1; 1959, c. 1316, s. 28; 1969, c. 751, ss. 4-6; 1973, c. 469, s. 45.3; 1989, c. 265, s. 1; 2001-358, ss. 14(b), 15; 2001-387, ss. 173, 175(a); 2001-413, s. 6.)