Decision

Decision on Intelsphere Limited

Published 12 November 2024

Order under the Companies Act 2006

In the matter of application No. 4895

For a change of company name of registration No. 15681723

Decision

The company name INTELSPHERE LIMITED has been registered since 26 April 2024 under number 15681723.

By an application filed on 30 May 2024, INTEL CORPORATION applied for a change of name of this registration under the provisions of section 69(1) of the Companies Act 2006 (the Act).

A copy of this application was sent to the primary respondent’s registered office on 18 June 2024, in accordance with rule 3(2) of the Company Names Adjudicator Rules 2008. The copy of the application was sent by Royal Mail “Special Delivery” service and also by standard mail. On 15 August 2024, the parties were advised that no defence had been received to the application and so the adjudicator may treat the application as not being opposed. The parties were granted a period of 14 days to request a hearing in relation to this matter, if they so wished. No request for a hearing was made.

The primary respondent did not file a defence within the one month period specified by the adjudicator under rule 3(3). Rule 3(4) states:

The primary respondent, before the end of that period, shall file a counter-statement on the appropriate form, otherwise the adjudicator may treat it as not opposing the application and may make an order under section 73(1).

Under the provisions of this rule, the adjudicator may exercise discretion so as to treat the respondent as opposing the application. In this case I can see no reason to exercise such discretion and, therefore, decline to do so.

As the primary respondent has not responded to the allegations made, it is treated as not opposing the application. Therefore, in accordance with section 73(1) of the Act I make the following order:

(a) INTELSPHERE LIMITED shall change its name within one month of the date of this order to one that is not an offending name; ^{[footnote 1]}

(b) INTELSPHERE LIMITED shall:

(i) take such steps as are within their power to make, or facilitate the making, of that change;

(ii) not cause or permit any steps to be taken calculated to result in another company being registered with a name that is an offending name.

In accordance with s.73(3) of the Act, this order may be enforced in the same way as an order of the High Court or, in Scotland, the Court of Session.

In any event, if no such change is made within one month of the date of this order, I will determine a new company name as per section 73(4) of the Act and will give notice of that change under section 73(5) of the Act.

The applicant is requesting its costs. In response to question 7. Of Form CNA1: “Did you warn the company that if it did not change its name that you would start legal proceedings against it? If ‘yes’, when did you warn the company?” the applicant states:

No. We did not have the opportunity to do so because the letter sent from the Applicant’s Representative to the Company at its registered office address on 15 May 2024 was received by an individual at his residential address. The individual alleges that he has no connection with the company and that it has adopted his residential address as its registered office address without authorisation or knowledge.

The Tribunal notes that the applicant sent a letter to the respondent’s registered office address providing notice prior to the filing of Form CNA1. Subsequently, communication from a third party to the applicant, has indicated that the registered address for the respondent is incorrect and it is noted that Companies House have now changed the registered address details relating to the respondent company to the Companies House default address. In the light of these circumstances and the applicant having been successful, an award of costs to the applicant is considered appropriate.

I order INTELSPHERE LIMITED, to pay INTEL COPRPORATION costs on the following basis:

Fee for application: £400
Statement of case: £400

Total: £800

This sum is to be paid within seven days of the expiry of the appeal period or within seven days of the final determination of this case if any appeal against this decision is unsuccessful.

Any notice of appeal against this decision to order a change of name must be given within one month of the date of this order. Appeal is to the High Court in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and to the Court of Session in Scotland.

The company adjudicator must be advised if an appeal is lodged, so that implementation of the order is suspended.

Dated 8 November 2024

Susan Eaves
Company Names Adjudicator

1. An “offending name” means a name that, by reason of its similarity to the name associated with the applicant in which he claims goodwill, would be likely to be the subject of a direction under section 67 (power of Secretary of State to direct change of name), or to give rise to a further application under section 69. ↩