Chinese companies are now no longer allowed to use ridiculously long names after the government made it illegal to register “weird” names last Saturday.
As indicated in a section of the 33 guidelines set by the China’s State Administration for Industry and Commerce, outlandish company names such as “宝鸡有一群怀揣着梦想的少年相信在牛大叔的带领下会创造生命的奇迹网络科技有限公司” which translates to “There Is a Group of Young People With Dreams, Who Believe They Can Make the Wonders of Life Under the Leadership of Uncle Niu Internet Technology Co. Ltd.” will now be banned. The 39-character name of a condom-making Chinese firm went viral earlier this year on Chinese social media.
According to Legal Daily (via Sixth Tone) company names should now be made up of just a few words rather than “sentences, paragraphs, or full literary narratives.”
Included in the new provisions is the restriction on the use of language that discriminates against genders, races, and/or ethnicities.
The use of politically sensitive terminologies and religious terms relating to either Christianity, Islam, or the Falun Gong spiritual movement are also prohibited.
Also forbidden is the use of any word referencing dissident groups or terrorism and claims that the company is “national” or “the best.” Duplicate registrations are also banned to clamp down on copycat brands.
Based on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, which houses the database for Chinese registered companies, some of the most absurdly-long names currently registered are as follows:
“What Are You Looking At Shenzhen Technology Co. Ltd.,” “Hangzhou Looking for Trouble Internet Technology Co. Ltd.,” “Beijing Under My Wife’s Thumb Technology Co. Ltd.,” and “King of Nanning, Guangxi, and His Friends Trading Co. Ltd.”
