Rhode Island § 7-8-33 - Consumers’ Cooperatives

§ 7-8-33. Use of word “cooperative”.

(a) Only associations organized under this chapter, corporations organized on a cooperative basis under any other law of this state, credit unions, unincorporated groups operating on a cooperative basis, and foreign corporations operating on a cooperative basis and authorized to do business in this state, are entitled to use the term “cooperative”, or any abbreviation or derivation of the term, as part of their business name, or to represent themselves as conducting business on a cooperative basis. However, any firm or corporation using the word “cooperative” as part of its business name prior to January 1, 1947, is not subject to the provisions of this section.

(b) Any person, firm, or corporation violating the above provision shall, upon conviction of the offense, be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00), with an additional fine of not more than two hundred dollars ($200) for each month during which a violation occurs, or by imprisonment for not less than thirty (30) days nor more than one year, or by both fine and imprisonment.