The port will not be able to promote or display the terms \u201cSan Francisco,\u201d \u201cSan Francisco Bay,\u201d \u201cSan Francisco Airport,\u201d \u201cSan Francisco Bay Airport,\u201d or any acronym incorporating \u201cSF\u201d for its airport without including \u201cOakland\u201d before.<\/p>\n
The Port is also barred from buying search keywords including \u201cSan Francisco [or SF] Airport,\u201d \u201cSan Francisco [or SF] International Airport,\u201d and \u201cSFO.\u201d<\/p>\n
The agreement further restricts single-word combinations used in marketing, such as hashtags and social media handles, that begin with \u201cSan Francisco\u201d or \u201cSF,\u201d such as \u201csfbayairport.\u201d Other prohibited single-word combinations are those that include \u201cSan Francisco\u201d or \u201cSF\u201d not immediately followed by \u201cBay,\u201d such as \u201coaksfairport,\u201d and those that shorten \u201cOakland,\u201d but not \u201cSan Francisco,\u201d such as \u201cOakSanFranciscoBayAirport.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additionally, the port can\u2019t use the names \u201cOakland San Francisco International Bay Airport,\u201d \u201cOakland San Francisco Bay International Airport,\u201d any name beginning with \u201cSan Francisco,\u201d \u201cSF,\u201d or \u201cSFO\u201d as the first city or airport reference, or any name where \u201cSan Francisco\u201d is not immediately followed by \u201cBay.\u201d<\/p>\n
The airport will continue to use the airport code OAK.<\/p>\n
In a joint statement, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu and San Francisco International Airport director Mike Nakornkhet celebrated the agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are pleased that we could come to a mutual resolution that accomplishes Oakland\u2019s goals while still protecting the San Francisco International Airport trademark,\u201d Chiu said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are grateful to have reached a resolution in this matter,\u201d Nakornkhet said. \u201cThis agreement provides clarity for travelers to make informed decisions about travel through our respective airports.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mary Richardson, an attorney for the Port of Oakland, also celebrated the settlement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re proud Oakland fought for, and preserved the right to retain our airport\u2019s full name that puts Oakland first and recognizes OAK\u2019s location on the San Francisco Bay,\u201d she said. \u201cWe believe more awareness of the airports in the region benefits all consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since 1954, San Francisco has used the trademarked name \u201cSan Francisco International Airport.\u201d In April 2024, Oakland announced plans to change its airport\u2019s name from \u201cMetropolitan Oakland International Airport\u201d to \u201cSan Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.\u201d<\/p>\n
San Francisco sued<\/a> shortly after, claiming the new airport name infringed its trademark and caused confusion for customers. That November, a federal court agreed, blocking<\/a> the Port of Oakland from using the name \u201cSan Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIncluding \u2018San Francisco\u2019 in the name of the Oakland airport when there is in fact no affiliation, connection or association between the Oakland airport and San Francisco is contrary to how airports in the United States are normally named and is highly likely to be confusing,\u201d U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson said.<\/p>\n The Port of Oakland reverted to the airport\u2019s original name, \u201cOakland International Airport,\u201d for almost eight months until last July, when the Board of Port Commissioners voted to change the airport\u2019s name again, to \u201cOakland San Francisco Bay Airport.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are proud to be a central gateway to the Bay Area, and we\u2019re proud to embrace a name that reflects both our local roots and regional reach,\u201d Craig Simon, director of aviation at the Port of Oakland, said in a statement<\/a> at the time. \u201c\u2018Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport\u2019 does both, putting Oakland first and highlighting our central location in the Bay Area for all visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n The Port of Oakland then appealed Hixton\u2019s November order blocking the name \u201cSan Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport, telling<\/a> a panel of Ninth Circuit judges that it does not infringe the city of San Francisco\u2019s trademark.<\/p>\n \u201cThe purpose of saying San Francisco Bay before Oakland is to describe where the airport is located,\u201d Timothy Berg of Fennemore Craig, an attorney for the Port of Oakland, said.<\/p>\n