상호에 있어서 외관보호기능의 확대에 관한 연구

This Article aims to propose reasonable solutions to achieve the two conflicting goals of not only being overly restrictive in using trade names but also of protecting consumer trust in external appearance about trade names. As recently shown in the case of new multi-type companies, there are various store names and trade marks, as well as trade names, to express themselves. In some cases, these companies may lend their trade names or store names to third parties. Under these special situations, consumers may be mistaken for the sameness of business owners. Thus this Article proposes two solutions as follows, which are designed to enhance legal stability in commercial transactions:First, it is necessary to expand the liability of a nominal lender to protect consumer trust in external appearance of a trade name. Second, the meaning of a trade name should be interpreted as broadly as possible, so as to extend the responsibilities of a transferee as in the case of a creditor of the transferor under Art. 42 of the Korean Commercial Code, in order to prevent the misconception of an innocent third party and to protect his or her trust in store names.