Can I use the name of an academic theory as the name of a business?
Difficult to answer without the name of the theory you want to use. But I strongly advise that you check and ensure that the name you want to use has not already been registered as a trademark with the UK Trademark Registry (see: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/tm.htm) and/or registered as a Community trademark with the Office of Harmonization for the Internal market (i.e. with the EU). If it has been registered then your use could constitute trade mark infringement if the criteria in s10 of the Trade Mark Act 1994 are satisfied. If you want to use an academic theory as the name of your business you may want to in turn protect your mark with the Registry. However in order for it to be protected it has to comply with the requirements for registration laid down in the Trade Marks Act 1994, s1, and s5, and there are also important common law requirements the Registry will take into account. In any event, do investigate before you use if you
