The Port of Oakland wants to rename Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to "San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport," but San Francisco International Airport is having none of it.
I am guessing the folks at The Port of Oakland have an identity crisis, or they paid some ridiculous outside consulting group to tell them that people are unaware Oakland is across the bay from San Francisco. People already get confused and go to the wrong Bay Area airport. This name is not going to help, even if they are somehow allowed to use it.
The city of San Francisco owns the federal trademark for "San Francisco International Airport," and Chiu argues in the letter that since the city has owned the registration for nearly a century, it has "become incontestable under federal law." "Should you continue in these efforts, I intend to pursue legal action to prevent your use of the proposed new name," Chiu added.
San Francisco and SFO are in lockstep; airport director Ivar C. Satero said in a statement, "We support bringing a legal challenge, if necessary."
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In response, the Port of Oakland appears defiant.
"The proposed name modification will clarify, not confuse. The new name identifies where OAK is actually located, which is on the San Francisco Bay," port spokesperson Kaley Skantz told SFGATE in an email. "If the proposed name modification is approved by the Board, the Port will take all appropriate measures to defend its right to use this accurate geographic identifier."
SFGate
"Easier to use than the San Francisco International Airport" and "Down the road from the San Francisco International Airport" must have been taken by San Jose and Sonoma.
