Oakland airport has been ordered to stop using “San Francisco Bay” in its name after a judge granted a preliminary injunction in response to San Francisco’s trademark lawsuit that accuses the Port of Oakland of “capitalizing off of confusion.” Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Alfred Twu
Nov. 14 (UPI) — A judge has ordered Oakland International Airport in California to stop using the name “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport,” for now.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson granted the city of San Francisco’s motion Tuesday for a preliminary injunction to block Oakland’s new airport moniker as the cities’ legal battle plays out.
That means Oakland airport will be required to remove all signs with the new name.
“San Francisco is likely to prevail on its claim that the new name of the Oakland airport uses San Francisco’s name in a way that falsely implies affiliation, connection and association,” according to the court order.
The judge ruled that San Francisco will suffer “irreparable harm” after Oakland changed the airport’s name in May to attract more business.
“The Port has taken San Francisco’s valuable name and applied it to a smaller, less successful and lower-rated airport,” court documents read. “San Francisco will suffer irreparable harm if a preliminary injunction is not issued.”
Oakland is also accused of violating San Francisco’s trademark for SFO, which means it cannot use “San Francisco Bay” on products or marketing.
The Port of Oakland informed San Francisco in March of its intent to rename its airport the “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.”
One month later, San Francisco filed a trademark lawsuit, claiming Oakland wanted to “capitalize off of confusion” so travelers buy tickets to the wrong airport.
The Port of Oakland countered, saying the name change was meant to “boost travelers’ geographic awareness of the airport’s location on the San Francisco Bay.”
According to court documents, “The airport is well-positioned to offer easy access to air travel into and out of the San Francisco Bay Area, including into downtown Oakland, across the Bay Bridge to downtown San Francisco, to major universities, wine country, most major Bay Area employers and other local Bay Area attractions and destinations.”
The court also referenced research that showed “OAK’s actual geographic location is not well-known outside of the Bay Area.”
“San Francisco has invested millions in making San Francisco International Airport the world class airport it is today. We have built an incredible brand, and we are happy the court agreed that brand should be legally protected from trademark infringement,” San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said in response to the judge’s ruling.
Meanwhile, the Port of Oakland said it was considering “all available options.”
“The court order temporarily blocks OAK’s new name on the basis of the third type of alleged confusion: that travelers may think OAK is affiliated with SFO. OAK is not associated with SFO, of course, but is rather a convenient and centrally located option for travelers throughout the Bay Area.”