A few weeks before launch, everything felt ready.

The website was live.
Packaging files had been approved.
Ads were scheduled.
The Shopify backend was already synced.

Then someone asked a simple question:

“Have we actually checked whether this brand name is usable in the US?”

At that point, most of the work was already done.

The assumption most early-stage brands make

Like many early-stage overseas businesses, the team assumed that because:
• the name was available as a domain,
• no obvious competitors showed up on Google,
• and social media handles were mostly free,

…the brand name was “probably fine.”

That assumption is more common than people realize.

What we found — and why it mattered

A deeper check showed a US-based business using a highly similar name in a related space.

Not identical.
Not copy-paste.
But close enough to create confusion — especially in online sales and paid advertising.

Nothing was blocked yet.
No cease-and-desist letter.
No lawsuit.

But launching under that name in the US would have meant risk from day one.

And risk compounds fast once inventory, ads, and customers are involved.

The hidden cost of finding out too late

Changing a brand name before launch is uncomfortable.
Changing it after launch is expensive.

It’s not just about:
• redoing logos,
• reprinting packaging,
• or updating a website.

It’s about:
• lost momentum,
• paused campaigns,
• confused customers,
• and credibility gaps with partners.

Many founders underestimate this because they only see the legal angle — not the operational one.

Why this happens so often with overseas expansion

Most international brands don’t fail because they ignore IP completely.

They fail because they:
• rely only on surface-level searches,
• assume availability in one country means availability everywhere,
• or postpone checks until “after traction.”

The US market, in particular, is unforgiving in this regard.

What feels like a small detail early on can become a structural problem later.

A simple takeaway for founders

You don’t need to register everything on day one.
But you do need visibility.

Before launching in a new market, it’s worth knowing:
• whether similar names already exist,
• how close is “too close,”
• and what level of risk you’re actually accepting.

Even a basic early check can change decisions — or at least prepare you for them.

Final thought

That brand ended up adjusting their name before launch.

It wasn’t ideal.
But it was manageable.

Most brands don’t get that second chance.

If you’re planning to sell overseas and haven’t thought about your brand name beyond Google search results, it may be worth pausing for a moment — before everything goes live.