By Chukwuedookwuob
The year 2026 promises to be an interesting one and it indeed began with an unexpected legal lesson – served not in courtroom, but on social media.
Barely weeks in, social media was already on fire over the use of the name ‘Ratel’- and beneath the noise was a serious legal issue many entrepreneurs don’t understand: business names are not trademarks.
On or around January 19, 2026, Entrepreneur Blord took to social media to announce that he had trademarked the name “Ratel” and directed his Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to issue a cease-and-desist letter to online personality VeryDarkMan (VDM), insisting he stop using the name.
In response, VDM released what he says is evidence he trademarked Ratel, The Ratel, and The Ratel Gang since September 2024 - predating Blord’s claim, sending social media into a frenzy of arguments, opinions, and legal interpretations.
The Ratel social media brouhaha might have started as online banter, but it’s a real-world cautionary tale.
For entrepreneurs in Nigeria - particularly those building online followings and digital products - trademarks are now as important as the business names you choose. Without them, even a widely recognised brand can find itself in a legal tug-of-war — just like Ratel.
Registering a business name is just the first step.
Protecting your brand through trademark registration is the one that turns a name into a legally enforceable asset.
This isn’t just celebrity drama. It highlights a crucial distinction every business owner must understand: the difference between registering a business name and owning a trademark.
1. Business Name Registration: Legal Existence, Not Exclusive Rights
In Nigeria, entrepreneurs must register their business name, company, or partnership with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) before starting operations.
This:
• Confirms that your business has a legal identity.
• Prevents others from registering a similar business name under CAC rules.
• Allows you to open bank accounts, enter contracts, and operate legitimately.
• However, business name registration does not give you exclusive rights to use that name across the market or prevent others from using the same name for their own brand or product.
In the Ratel situation, even if VDM or Blord registered a business with the name Ratel, that does not automatically give them exclusive “ownership” of the brand in the legal sense that trademark law recognises.
2. Trademark Registration: Protecting Brand Identity
A trademark is a unique sign, logo, word, or phrase that identifies your goods or services and distinguishes them from competitors.
Trademark registration goes beyond mere name use - it grants legal rights and exclusive use in connection with specific goods or services in defined classes.
Here’s what trademark registration gives you:
•Exclusive rights to use the mark in connection with the goods/services you registered it for.
• The legal basis to stop others from using the same or a confusingly similar mark in the same class.
• Stronger protection in court - without registration, your claim depends on proving goodwill and reputation, which is harder and costlier.
• A valuable intangible asset you can license, sell, or franchise.
In the Ratel dispute, a trademark like Ratel could be registered in different classes - for example, one for digital financial services (Blord’s Ratel app) and another for entertainment or personal branding (VDM’s identity).
Where trademarks are registered in different classes, identical names can legally co-exist, since trademark rights do not automatically extend beyond the specific goods or services covered by the registration.
This is why trademark disputes are not decided by who shouted first online, but by filing dates, classes of registration, and the nature of the goods or services involved.
3. Why Many Businesses Get It Wrong
A common misconception among entrepreneurs - especially those who grow popular online brands - is believing that simply using a name (or registering a business with that name) gives them the legal right to own and enforce it. It doesn’t.
Business name registration protects your legal status as an operating entity.
Trademark registration protects your brand identity in the marketplace and your ability to enforce exclusive use against competitors in the same class.
Without a registered trademark:
• You risk someone else successfully registering the name as their mark and potentially blocking your use.
• You bear the burden of proving your reputation and rights in court if the matter turns into litigation.
• You limit your ability to monetise your brand equity through licensing or franchising.
4. Practical Takeaways for Nigerian Entrepreneurs
Here are key points to take away from the Ratel episode:
✔ Register Your Business Name (CAC)
This ensures your enterprise is legally recognised and compliant.
✔ Trademark Your Brand Name & Logo
If you care about market exclusivity, customer recognition, and legal enforceability, trademark registration is essential.
✔ Do Your Searches First
Before choosing a business or brand name, conduct both:
a CAC business name check
a trademark search
This reduces the risk of future disputes and costly rebranding.
✔ Understand Trademark Classes
Trademark rights aren’t automatically universal - they apply to specific categories of goods and services. Two parties can use the same word in different classes legally.
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