Using a different company name for iPhone app distribution?

Question

My company is starting to get into iPhone development. We'd like to keep our iPhone business segregated from our other businesses, so in the App Store, we'd like to be known by a different name. For example, although our company may be legally Company, LLC, we'd like our apps on the App Store to appear to be from a different company name, e.g. ReallyCoolApps, LLC, which will simply be a dba for Company, LLC.

I'm in the middle of the developer program enrollment, and it's asking me for my company name, website, etc. At this point, do I need to enter the name we'd like to appear as in the App Store (e.g. ReallyCoolApps, LLC), or can I enter our real company name (e.g. Company, LLC) here and choose a different name to appear as later when we're ready to distribute?

We haven't actually come up with an App Store name yet. I'd like to go ahead and get signed up so I can begin testing on an actual device and wait until later to come up with a name. I want to make sure this is possible before I continue.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Apple will probably reject your application if the company name you provide does not match your company's legal name. Or at least they did for me, an operating as document was also rejected. i.e. our legal name was foo and we are operating under the name bar.

Answer 2

I'm not sure of the exact point at which you choose your display name, but I'm absolutely positive that it warns you and explicitly tells you that "you will show up in the app store as xyz" at the point at which you must give a name.

I setup my account a few weeks ago, and I'm sure it warned me.

Answer 3

The company name is set when you submit your first app. Be careful, you can not change it once submitted, the Apple docs clearly state this. If you use the wrong name you will have to get Apple to change it and that is no fun.