The family business of President Donald Trump is making a move to control how his name is used if any airport is named after him in the future.
The Name Game
The Trump Organization has filed trademark applications seeking exclusive rights to use Trump’s name across airports and a wide range of related services and merchandise, from shuttle buses to luggage to flight suits.
The trademarks have been filed for the trademark applications for “DONALD J. TRUMP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,” “PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT” and “DJT,” according to The Associated Press.
The filings surfaced as political debates intensify over renaming Palm Beach International Airport near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence after him, along with proposals involving Washington Dulles International Airport.
The company insists the filings are about protection, not profit. In a statement, it said the president and his family would receive no royalties or financial compensation tied to a possible airport renaming near Mar-a-Lago, The goal, according to the organization, is to prevent misuse of what it calls “the most infringed trademark in the world,” AP reports.
The scope of the applications, which cover dozens of commercial categories, has sparked criticism among lawmakers and legal experts. Trademark attorney Josh Gerben described the move as unprecedented, noting that no sitting president’s private company has ever sought trademark rights connected to public infrastructure naming in advance.
“While presidents and public officials have had landmarks named in their honor, a sitting president’s private company has never in the history of the United States sought trademark rights in advance of such naming,” Gerben pointed out on his blog. “These are trademark filings that are completely unprecedented.”
Trump reportedly discussed renaming major transit hubs, such as Penn Station in NYC, during negotiations tied to federal infrastructure funding. Trump later denied initiating some of those proposals.
Historically, presidents don’t get airports named after them until long after they leave office, if ever. Bill Clinton waited more than a decade, Ronald Reagan nearly as long, and Gerald Ford more than two decades. John F. Kennedy was the rare exception, with New York’s airport renamed shortly after his assassination.
