A federal judge has ordered Oakland airport officials to stop using “San Francisco Bay” in the name amid a trademark dispute with San Francisco officials.
On Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson issued a preliminary injunction against the Port of Oakland, which operates the airport, from using the name in its facilities and in advertising.
In April, the port approved changing the name from “Metropolitan Oakland International Airport” to “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport” while retaining the airport code OAK.
At the time, the airport said it wanted to increase the number of people flying to and from the East Bay. noting that many out-of-town passengers were unaware of Oakland’s location compared to the rest of the Bay Area.
The move sparked criticism across the bay from San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Days after the decision, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said has filed a lawsuit against Oakland, arguing that the renaming infringes on the SFO trademark.
In response to this the Port of Oakland has filed a countersuit against San Franciscosaying their lawsuit was filed “prematurely.”
Chiu applied for a provisional injunction in Septemberarguing that the renamed airport had also caused confusion among visitors.
“SFO has already suffered economic harm, while Oakland benefits from SFO’s investments, reputation and services. And I want to note that we all want the entire Bay Area region to be successful when it comes to tourism. We want the Oakland airport to do well. But this is not a practical or legal way for them to go about this,” Chiu told CBS News Bay Area on September 17.
Robert Bernardo of the Port of Oakland released a statement to CBS News Bay Area saying, “The court’s ruling found that two of the three types of confusion alleged by SFO were unfounded.”
“The court order temporarily blocks OAK’s new name based on the third type of alleged confusion: that travelers think OAK is affiliated with SFO. OAK is obviously not associated with SFO, but rather is a convenient and centrally located option for travelers throughout the Bay Area,” Bernardo continued.
The port said it is reviewing the ruling and considering all available options.
