Lets say an LLC is named something generic like: "Iron Chimpanzee Company" and then the members decide to create three websites specifically for the sale of boats, steaks, and blind dates.
Can the company name the sites "Iron Chimpanzee Boats", "Iron Chimpanzee Steaks", and "Iron Chimpanzee Dates" without any DBAs?
How is this type of thing determined?
The basic requirement is that any communication using the trade name be possible to trace back to the LLC using the trade name, either with a disclosure in the communication itself, or with a trade name (a.k.a. doing business as a.k.a. dba) registration that links the trade name to the entity in the public record.
If this is not done, business conducted in the trade name may be treated as a sole proprietorship or general partnership of the people actually conducting the activity, rather than an activity of the limited liability company behind it, thus depriving those people of limited liability protection.
