<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".04" citation="COMAR 18.04.02.04" title_num="18" subtitle_num="04" chapter_num="02" heading="Nondistinctive Factors.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>In addition to the requirements of other regulations of this chapter, presence or absence of the following factors or words do not make an entity name distinctive from one on record.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Factors, Words, Letters, or Punctuation.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Tails Between Similar Organizations.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>When two entities are in the same category of business organization, that is, corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, etc., and the only difference between their names is the tails, the names are not distinctive.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Example: “WYZ Corp.” is not distinctive from “WYZ, Inc.” or “WYZ Limited”.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Spacing.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>When the only difference between two entity names is the presence or absence of a space, the names are not distinctive.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Example: “Maryland LLLP” is not distinctive from Mary land LLLP".</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Case Sensitivity.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>When the only difference between two entity names is the presence or absence of lower or uppercase letters, the names are not distinctive.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Example: “Smith Chartered” is not distinctive from “SMIth Chartered”.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>“And”, “The”, “An”, “Or”, and “Of”.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>When the only difference between two entity names is the presence or absence of the words “And”, “The”, “An”, “Or”, or “Of”, the names are not distinctive.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Examples: “The ABC, Inc.” is not distinctive from “ABC, Inc.”; “A or B LLLP” is not distinctive from “AB LLLP”.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Use of “A”.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>When the only difference between two entity names is the presence or absence of the letter “A” where “A” is used as an indefinite article, the names are not distinctive.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Example: “A Dog’s Life LLC” is not distinctive from “Dog’s Life LLC”.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>Punctuation.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>When the only difference between two entity names is the presence or absence of punctuation, the names are not distinctive.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Example: “The EFG, LLC” is not distinctive from “The EFG LLC”.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>