In the ongoing legal battle between two of the Bay Area’s largest airports, San Francisco has temporarily triumphed, securing a victory in the courtroom over Oakland International Airport’s rebranding efforts.
On Tuesday, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against the Port of Oakland, halting the use of the newly adopted name, San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. The court ruled that Oakland must immediately stop using the new name in its advertising, products, and services.
The ruling comes after San Francisco filed a lawsuit in April, claiming that the name change would lead to confusion and misrepresentation, falsely implying an affiliation between Oakland and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). San Francisco argued that the addition of “San Francisco Bay” to Oakland’s name violated its trademark and would cause harm to its long-established brand.
In his ruling, US Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson agreed that the rebranding would likely cause irreparable harm to San Francisco’s trademark.
“San Francisco is likely to prevail on its claim that the new name of the Oakland airport uses San Francisco’s mark in a way that falsely implies affiliation, connection, or association,” Hixson wrote.
He noted that San Francisco has spent millions of dollars developing its airport brand, which is recognized internationally, and that the rebranding of Oakland Airport could damage that brand’s reputation and value.
While the judge acknowledged that there was little evidence of actual confusion among travelers thus far, he emphasized that the new name could lead airline customers to mistakenly associate Oakland with SFO. Hixson highlighted that SFO is consistently ranked among the top airport brands, while Oakland, which has a smaller infrastructure and fewer flights, is not typically seen as part of the same elite category.
The ruling also pointed out that the harm to the Port of Oakland would be minimal. Oakland had already installed a limited number of signs with the new name, but the court’s injunction prohibits further installations and requires the removal of the existing signs. The judge emphasized that Oakland could continue using its long-established name, Oakland International Airport, which has been in use for over 60 years.
“The harm to the Port is minimal when it remains free to use the well-known name for the Oakland airport that it has used for 60 years,” Hixson wrote.
In response to the ruling, the Port of Oakland issued a statement expressing disappointment. While the Port acknowledged the court’s decision to temporarily block the use of the new name, it disagreed with the claim that the renaming would cause confusion.
“OAK is not associated with SFO, of course, but is rather a convenient and centrally located option for travelers throughout the Bay Area,” the statement read.
The Port also indicated that it is considering all available options, including potentially appealing the decision to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals.
The legal dispute began in May, when the Port of Oakland announced the name change in an effort to attract more business by leveraging the global recognition of San Francisco’s name. Oakland officials maintained that the renaming was meant to clarify that the airport serves the entire Bay Area, not just Oakland, and was not intended to mislead the public.
San Francisco has been adamant about protecting its brand, which it argues is threatened by Oakland’s rebranding. City Attorney David Chiu praised the court’s decision, noting that city officials had attempted to negotiate a compromise with Oakland for months but were unsuccessful.
“We have built an incredible brand, and we are happy the court agreed that brand should be legally protected from trademark infringement,” Chiu said.
Despite the legal win, the lawsuit is not over. The case will continue, and further decisions will be made regarding the long-term resolution of the dispute.
As the holiday travel season approaches, this ruling gives San Francisco a temporary victory, but the future of Oakland’s name change remains uncertain. With both cities vying for prominence in the highly competitive Bay Area travel market, this legal battle is far from over. The Port of Oakland’s next steps may include appealing the decision or finding an alternative name that avoids the trademark conflict.
San Francisco Chronicle, ABC 7 News, and SFGate contributed to this report.
