Businesses with 'ISIS' name struggle with brand confusion

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Oct 6, 2014

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Businesses with 'ISIS' name struggle with brand confusion

ISIS is the acronym for the Islamic militant group operating in Iraq and Syria, but it's also the name of many businesses, including a New Jersey company that makes weaves, wigs and hair pieces.

An Iraqi Shiite militiaman, a follower of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, jumps to break a placard with the name of the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria during a parade, in the northern oil rich province of Kirkuk, Iraq, on Saturday.

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ISIS is the acronym for the Islamic militant group operating in Iraq and Syria, but it's also the name of many businesses, including a New Jersey company that makes weaves, wigs and hair pieces.

The name "ISIS" has been popping up a lot in the news recently.

It's an acronym for the Islamic militant group currently operating in Iraq and Syria, but it's also used in the names of more than 270 product, service and business names, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

This has led to a bit of brand confusion among consumers and a headache for business owners with the name. Tom Murphy of the Associated Press recently wrote about this and says some companies are debating whether to change their names, while some already have.