(a) A foreign corporation may register its corporate name, or its corporate name with any addition required by section one thousand four hundred six, article fourteen of this chapter, if the name is distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from the corporate names that are not available under subsection (b), section four hundred one of this article.
(b) A foreign corporation registers its corporate name, or its corporate name with any addition required by section one thousand four hundred six, article fourteen of this chapter, by delivering to the Secretary of State for filing an application:
(1) Setting forth its corporate name, or its corporate name with any addition required by section one thousand four hundred six, article fourteen of this chapter, the state or country and date of its incorporation, and a brief description of the nature of the business in which it is engaged; and
(2) Accompanied by a certificate of existence, or a document of similar import, from the state or country of incorporation.
(c) The name is registered for the applicant's exclusive use upon the effective date of the application.
(d) A foreign corporation whose registration is effective may renew it for successive years by delivering to the Secretary of State for filing a renewal application, which complies with the requirements of subsection (b) of this section, between October 1, and December 31, of the preceding year. The renewal application when filed renews the registration for the following calendar year.
(e) A foreign corporation whose registration is effective may qualify as a foreign corporation under the registered name or consent in writing to the use of that name by a corporation incorporated under this chapter or by another foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state. The registration terminates when the domestic corporation is incorporated or the foreign corporation qualifies or consents to the qualification of another foreign corporation under the registered name.