San Francisco and neighboring Oakland have lengthy maintained a pleasant rivalry, whether or not over sports activities or tacos. However a spat over an airport title is taking the feud to new heights.
San Francisco on Thursday sued Oakland over that metropolis’s resolution to alter the title of its airport to the San Francisco Bay Oakland worldwide airport.
San Francisco is accusing Oakland of trademark infringement, and arguing the change would create “client confusion”.
The airport, at the moment often known as Oakland worldwide airport, is making an attempt to “enhance passengers and income by speeding to unlawfully incorporate San Francisco Worldwide Airport’s trademarked title into its personal”, the lawsuit states.
The board of commissioners in Oakland voted final week to maneuver ahead with a reputation change – a ultimate vote is scheduled for Might. Officers with the Oakland airport have stated vacationers who aren’t aware of the Bay Space typically select to fly into San Francisco, not realizing that Oakland is in some circumstances nearer to their vacation spot.
“This title will make it clear that OAK is the closest main airport, for 4.1 million individuals, three nationwide laboratories, the highest public college within the nation and California’s wine nation,” Barbara Leslie, the port fee president, stated after the vote.
Officers in San Francisco voiced their dismay with the plan instantly, arguing that it could confuse vacationers, significantly these coming from in a foreign country and those that don’t communicate English, and will harm the journey business within the area.
The San Francisco mayor, airport director and board of supervisors have all come out in opposition to the title change.
“I really like Oakland, however Oakland is Oakland. It’s not San Francisco,” Scott Wiener, the state senator who represents San Francisco, stated on X.
Supporters of Oakland’s plan have identified that San Francisco’s airport isn’t situated within the metropolis, however within the close by group of Millbrae – and that the Oakland airport is in spite of everything situated on the San Francisco Bay.
In an announcement concerning the lawsuit filed on Thursday, the town legal professional for San Francisco stated that the town had been notified of the proposal solely half-hour earlier than Oakland introduced it to the general public in March and that Oakland had “refused to interact”.
“We had hoped Oakland would come to its senses, however their refusal to collaborate on an appropriate various title leaves us no alternative however to file a lawsuit to guard SFO’s trademark,” stated David Chiu, the town legal professional. “We need to see your entire Bay Space thrive as a vacationer vacation spot and develop our choices to guests, however the renaming isn’t a authorized or sensible approach to go about it.”
Oakland officers say they’ll transfer forward with the change.
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“OAK’s proposed renaming doesn’t infringe upon SFO’s mark,” the Port of Oakland stated in an announcement. “We are going to vigorously defend our proper to say our spot on the San Francisco Bay.”
Whereas San Francisco officers weren’t laughing, the web was.
Oakland Airport ought to change its title to Paris Charles de Gaulle simply so we will see the expression on all people’s face after they get off the aircraft.
— Mick LaSalle (@MickLaSalle) April 15, 2024
“The San Francisco Airport of Oakland that’s additionally type of close to San Jose and only a brief drive from Sacramento and different cities and stuff”https://t.co/sDkIcuzsPz
— Anti-Fisher by Design (@AsFanByDesign) April 12, 2024
The Related Press contributed to this report
