### Companies Ordinance 《公司條例》

780. Registrar may serve notice to regulate use of corporate names or approved names
(1) The Registrar may serve a notice on a registered non-Hong Kong company if satisfied that a corporate name or approved name of the company—
(a) is the same as or is too like—
(i) a name that appears, or should have appeared, in the index of names kept under section 22C of the predecessor Ordinance or in the Index of Company Names on the material date; or
(ii) the name of a body corporate incorporated or established under an Ordinance before the material date; or
(b) gives so misleading an indication of the nature of the company’s activities in Hong Kong as to be likely to cause harm to the public.
(2) A notice must state the reasons for serving the notice.
(3) A notice for the purposes of subsection (1)(a) must be served on a registered non-Hong Kong company within 6 months beginning on the material date.
(4) In this section—
material date (關鍵日期)—
(a) in relation to a domestic name, or a translation of a domestic name, of a registered non-Hong Kong company that is entered in the Companies Register under section 777 as a corporate name, means the date on which the certificate of registration was issued under that section;
(b) in relation to a domestic name, or a translation of a domestic name, of a registered non-Hong Kong company that is entered in the Companies Register under section 779 as a corporate name, means the date on which the certificate of registration was issued under that section;
(c) in relation to a domestic name, or a translation of a domestic name, of a registered non-Hong Kong company that is entered in the Companies Register on a restoration of the company to the Companies Register, means the date of the restoration;
(d) in relation to a domestic name, or a translation of a domestic name, of a registered non-Hong Kong company that has already been entered in the Companies Register as at the coming into operation of this Part, means—
(i) the date on which the company complied with section 333 of the predecessor Ordinance; or
(ii) if the company has delivered a return for registration under section 335 of the predecessor Ordinance, the date on which the certificate of registration was issued under that section;
(e) in relation to a name that is entered in the Companies Register under section 782(5) or 785(5) as an approved name, means the date on which the certificate of registration was issued under that section; or
(f) in relation to a name by which the registered non-Hong Kong company was registered by virtue of section 337B(3) of the predecessor Ordinance as an approved name, means the date of the registration.

### Companies Ordinance 《公司條例》

781. Effect of notice
(1) If a registered non-Hong Kong company is served with a notice under section 780(1) for a corporate name or approved name, the company must not, after the end of 2 months after the date of service, carry on business in Hong Kong under that name.
(2) If a registered non-Hong Kong company contravenes subsection (1), the company, every responsible person of the company, and every agent of the company who authorizes or permits the contravention, commit an offence.
(3) A person who commits an offence under subsection (2) is liable to a fine at level 6 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine of $2,000 for each day during which the offence continues.
(4) This section does not invalidate any transaction entered into by the registered non-Hong Kong company.

### Companies Ordinance 《公司條例》

782. Registration of approved name for carrying on business in Hong Kong
(1) If a registered non-Hong Kong company is served with a notice under section 780(1) for a corporate name or for an approved name in relation to a corporate name, the company may apply, in writing, to the Registrar for approval of another name, in relation to the corporate name, under which the company is to carry on business in Hong Kong.
(2) An application must be delivered to the Registrar.
(3) On receiving an application for approval of a name, the Registrar must approve the name unless satisfied that the name—
(a) is the same as or is too like—
(i) a name that appears, or should have appeared, in the Index of Company Names; or
(ii) the name of a body corporate incorporated or established under an Ordinance; or
(b) gives so misleading an indication of the nature of the registered non-Hong Kong company’s activities in Hong Kong as to be likely to cause harm to the public.
(4) If the Registrar approves a name, the registered non-Hong Kong company may deliver to the Registrar for registration a return, in the specified form, specifying the name so approved.
(5) On receiving a return, the Registrar must, unless satisfied that the name specified in it is the same as a name that appears, or should have appeared, in the Index of Company Names—
(a) enter that specified name in the Companies Register as the name, in relation to the corporate name, under which the registered non-Hong Kong company is to carry on business in Hong Kong;
(b) issue to the company a fresh certificate of registration containing the corporate name and the name so entered; and
(c) register the return.
(6) On the issue of the fresh certificate of registration, the name entered in the Companies Register under subsection (5)(a) is, for all purposes of the law, the name under which the registered non-Hong Kong company is to carry on business in Hong Kong.
(7) Subsection (6) does not affect any rights or obligations vested in the registered non-Hong Kong company under the name for which the notice is served on the company under section 780(1).
(8) Subsection (6) does not render defective any legal proceedings by or against the registered non-Hong Kong company. If there are any legal proceedings that might have been commenced or continued by or against that company by the name for which the notice is served on that company under section 780(1), those proceedings may be commenced or continued by or against it by the name entered in the Companies Register under subsection (5)(a) as an approved name in relation to the corporate name.

### Companies Ordinance 《公司條例》

783. Withdrawal of notice
(1) After a registered non-Hong Kong company is served with a notice under section 780(1) for a corporate name or for an approved name in relation to a corporate name, the Registrar may, on written application by the company, withdraw the notice.
(2) If the notice is withdrawn, section 781(1) ceases to apply to the registered non-Hong Kong company.
(3) If, after the notice is served, a name is entered in the Companies Register as an approved name in relation to the corporate name, the Registrar must, on withdrawing the notice—
(a) make a note in the Companies Register to the effect that the name is no longer an approved name; and
(b) issue to the registered non-Hong Kong company a fresh certificate of registration containing the name for which the notice is served.

784. Appeal against decision to serve notice
Within 3 weeks after being served with a notice under section 780(1)(b) for a corporate name or for an approved name in relation to a corporate name, a registered non-Hong Kong company may appeal to the Administrative Appeals Board against the decision to serve the notice.