By BERNARD CONDON
NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump household firm has filed to trademark the usage of the president’s title on airports however says it doesn’t plan on charging a payment — at the least for a proposed renaming of 1 close to his Florida dwelling.
Purposes filed by the Trump Group with the federal trademark workplace are searching for unique rights to make use of the president’s title on airports and dozens of associated issues discovered there, from buses shuttling passengers to umbrellas and journey baggage to flight fits. The filings come amid debate in Florida over a state invoice to call the Palm Seashore airport after Trump and a dispute over funding of a tunnel between New York and New Jersey that’s tied up with proposals that each it and Dulles Worldwide Airport in Virginia bear his title.
The Trump Group mentioned that the functions had been triggered by the Florida invoice and that it didn’t search any revenue — solely safety in opposition to “unhealthy actors” provided that the Trump title is the “most infringed trademark on the earth.”
“To be clear, the President and his household won’t obtain any royalty, licensing payment, or monetary consideration in anyway from the proposed airport renaming,” the corporate mentioned it in a press release, referring to what’s now referred to as the Palm Seashore Worldwide Airport close to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago membership.
The corporate didn’t reply when requested if it could cost royalties for the usage of the title at different airports sooner or later, or on merchandise listed for cover within the filings.
Josh Gerben, a trademark lawyer who uncovered the filings over the weekend, mentioned the functions had been the primary of their sort he’s ever seen.
“Whereas presidents and public officers have had landmarks named of their honor, a sitting president’s personal firm has by no means within the historical past of the US sought trademark rights prematurely of such naming,” Gerben wrote on his weblog. “These are trademark filings which can be fully unprecedented.”
One other break with the previous: Presidents often have to attend for years after they’ve left workplace to get an airport named after them — or die.
Invoice Clinton needed to wait 11 years, Ronald Reagan 9. For Gerald Ford it took 22 years. JFK was quickest — only one month after his assassination.
If Trump will get his airport, it can be a part of an extended line of organizations, buildings and different public issues renamed for him in latest months together with the Kennedy Heart performing arts venue, a highway exterior Mar-a-Lago dubbed the President Donald J. Trump Boulevard and a yet-to-built new class of battleships.
The airport trademark functions filed by a household firm unit referred to as DTTM Operations with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace are for the usage of three names — President Donald J. Trump Worldwide Airport, Donald J. Trump Worldwide Airport and DJT.
The Trump firm’s declare that it’s the most infringed trademark on the earth couldn’t be rapidly confirmed.
Gucci has confronted tens of 1000’s of copycat gadgets for the reason that early Seventies when Trump was beginning out in Manhattan actual property. Prada has been energetic suing firms for years, and Rolex battles pretend watches by the hundreds of thousands.
The household has been on a branding spree prior to now 12 months, placing the Trump title on towers, golf resorts and residential developments in Dubai, India, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. The corporate has additionally been promoting Trump branded electrical guitars, bibles and sneakers, ventures that additionally fall beneath the DTTM unit.
In response to criticism that he and his household are profiting off the presidency, Trump has mentioned that his enterprise is held in belief by his sons and that he has no day-to-day involvement within the firm.
