The Florida Legislature may have passed a bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport after Donald Trump. However, a trademark filed in representation of the President’s group has raised many questions over the intentions behind the move. Skeptics have highlighted that the filing would allow the Trump Organization to make money from the amendment, which would set a bad precedent.
Florida airport name change raises doubts
On Tuesday, the Florida House of Representatives passed a house bill In which a proposal was made to rename Palm Beach Airport in honor of Donald Trump by a vote of 81-30. Shortly afterward, the private firm handling the Trump Organization’s licensing needs filed a trademark application for it.
The move drew reaction from many, including Democratic Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones, who opposed renaming the airport, despite initially supporting the issue. Jones insisted, “No president, Democrat or Republican, should benefit from such trademarks”.
Kimberly Benza, director of executive operations for the Trump Organization, has since issued a clarification, stating, “To be clear, the President and his family will not receive any royalties, licensing fees or financial consideration from the naming of the proposed airport.” He also noted that since the bill requires a licensing agreement from the organization, they are “willing to provide this right to their hometown county at no charge”. cnn.
Trademark attorney Josh Gerben has pointed out the anomalous nature of the move, as no former leaders or their families have ever applied for a trademark for a hub named after them. For example, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority owns the trademark for Reagan National Airport.
Gerben also revealed that trademarking the Florida airport name will allow Donald Trump and his company to monetize a number of relevant goods and services, including watches, clocks, jewelry, airport baggage check-in, and more. He said, “There could be an entire market at the airport or even outside the airport complex. And then, Trump Org would own the trademark and be able to license that name to anyone who makes and sells that merchandise.”
Notably, Benza has avoided clarifying the Trump Organization’s intentions with the business opportunities that come with the trademark.
Originally reported by Apoorva Rastogi Mandatory