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Art. 944 Bundesgesetz vom 30. März 1911 betreffend die Ergänzung des Schweizerischen Zivilgesetzbuches (OR)
OR; Vierte Abteilung: Handelsregister, Geschäftsfirmen und kaufmännische Buchführung; Einunddreissigster Titel: Die Geschäftsfirmen; A. Grundsätze der Firmenbildung; I. Allgemeine Bestimmungen
Art. 944 OR
Jede Firma darf, neben dem vom Gesetze vorgeschriebenen wesentlichen Inhalt, Angaben enthalten, die zur näheren Umschreibung der darin erwähnten Personen dienen oder auf die Natur des Unternehmens hinweisen oder eine Phantasiebezeichnung darstellen, vorausgesetzt, dass der Inhalt der Firma der Wahrheit entspricht, keine Täuschungen verursachen kann und keinem öffentlichen Interesse zuwiderläuft.
Der Bundesrat kann Vorschriften darüber erlassen, in welchem Umfange nationale und territoriale Bezeichnungen bei der Bildung von Firmen verwendet werden dürfen.
Gerichtsentscheide zu dieser Bestimmung (18)
VPB 1997-10-21 (Art. 944 ss CO)
Amendments to Swiss Commercial Register, Customs, Water Protection, Banking, and Investment Funds Ordinances
Cited as the legal basis for the Commercial Registrar to examine whether a business name or the name of an association or foundation meets legal requirements.
BGE 96 I 606 (Art. 944 CO)
Company name truthfulness and territorial designation: refusal to register "Centre romand du leasing SA" upheld for misleading "centre" and unjustified Swiss regional term under company law.
Basis for the principle of truthfulness of the company name, used to justify rejecting the proposed name as misleading.
BGE 87 I 305 (Art. 944 OR)
Swiss corporate name law: use of the word "international" in a firm name requires actual cross-border corporate structure, not mere foreign licensing activity.
Main ground for denying the requested firm name change; the word 'international' would be misleading and violate the principle of firm-name truth.
CCIV.2024.1 · ne (Art. 944 al. 1 CO)
Misleading Business Name Registration and Unfair Competition
The defendant's trade name was found to violate this article regarding truthfulness and misleading representation.
OGVE.2018.19.Nr.7 · ow (Art. 944 OR)
Immovesta AG v. Immovest AG: Name Priority Dispute
This provision is referenced in the context of ordering the defendant to register a permissible company name.
ZK.2019.3 · bs (Art. 944 OR)
AVIA v. Lavia GmbH Trade Name Confusion
Cited in order 4 as the legal basis for ordering the dissolution of the defendant if a new company name compliant with OR 944 cannot be registered.
VB.2017.00440 · zh (Art. 944 Abs. I OR)
Association Name Geographic Designation Permissibility
This article is the main ground used implicitly for the decision regarding the use of a name/firm in the commercial register, although the specifics of the ruling are based on interpretation of other principles regarding location names.
HG130059 · zh (Art. 944 OR)
B._____ Bau AG v. B._____ Trademark Infringement
Requirement for a legally permissible company name, which the defendant must adopt.
A/502/2009 · ge (Art. 944 al. 1 CO)
Attorney Practice Under Corporate Form Limited Independence and Trade Name Concerns
This article of the Code of Obligations (CO) concerning commercial names was used to assess the misleading nature of the term 'et Cie' in the company name.
GE.2007.0182 · vd (Art. 944 CO)
Aesthetic Center's Right to Use "Clinique" Upheld Against Public Health Prohibition
Cited in the reasoning when discussing the standard applied by the Commercial Register authorities concerning company names, which supports the main finding regarding public perception.
38.2005.55 · ti (art. 944, 950 CO)
Unemployment Benefits Appeal: De Facto Employer Status and Repayment Procedures
Cited in the reasoning regarding the correspondence between name and company name, but not in the operative part.
12.2004.206 · ti (art. 944 cpv. 1 CO)
Casino Name Dispute Over "Grand Casinò" Designation
This provision regarding the requirements for a trade name was used in the reasoning leading to the decision to grant the appeal.
ZF 2002 23 · gr (Art. 944 Abs. 1 OR)
Association v. GmbH Name Dispute (Prior Use Doctrine)
Cited analogously in the reasoning (point 6) regarding the requirements for the registration of the name of an association, although not explicitly present in the final operative order.
38.2005.55 · ti (Art. 944 CO)
Unemployment Benefits Revocation Due to Continued Employer-Like Role Post-Liquidation
Cited in the reasoning regarding the coincidence of name and business name.
38.2008.58 · ti (art. 944, 950 CO)
Claimant's Continued Functional Control of Family Business Justified Denial of Unemployment Benefits
Cited in reference to the coincidence of the name and activity of the insured with the employer's trade name.