doing business as" (abbreviated DBA or d/b/a) is a legal term, meaning that the name of the business or operation does not include the legal name of its proprietor, the names of all partners, or the official registered name of the limited partnership or corporation that owns it. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia (and some parts of the United States and Canada), the phrase trading as is used. This is abbreviated to t/a. In several U.S. states, such names are also referred to as trade styles, fictitious business names, or assumed business names. The distinction between an actual and a "fictitious" name is important because businesses with "fictitious" names give no obvious indication of the entity that is legally responsible for their operation. Therefore, for consumer protection purposes, most jurisdictions require businesses operating with fictitious names to file a DBA statement. This also reduces the possibility of two local businesses operating under the same name. Note, though, that this is not a replacement for obtaining a trademark. A DBA filing carries no legal weight in instances where a trademark would be necessary.