Trump Organization seeks trademark for airports bearing president’s name

The Trump family company has filed to trademark the use of the presidents name on airports but says it doesnt plan on charging a fee at least for a proposed renaming of one near his Florida homeApplications filed by the Trump Organization with the federal trademark office are seeking exclusive rights to use the presidents name on airports and dozens of related things found there from buses shuttling passengers to umbrellas and travel bags to flight suitsThe filings come amid debate in Florida over a state bill to name the Palm Beach airport after Trump and a dispute over funding of a tunnel between New York and New Jersey that is tied up with proposals that both it and Dulles International Airport in Virginia bear his nameThe Trump Organization said that the applications were triggered by the Florida bill and that it didnt seek any profit only protection against bad actors given that the Trump name is the most infringed trademark in the worldTo be clear the President and his family will not receive any royalty licensing fee or financial consideration whatsoever from the proposed airport renaming the company said it in a statement referring to what is now called the Palm Beach International Airport near Trumps MaraLago clubThe company didnt respond when asked if it would charge royalties for the use of the name at other airports in the future or on merchandise listed for protection in the filingsJosh Gerben a trademark lawyer who uncovered the filings over the weekend said the applications were the first of their kind hes ever seenWhile presidents and public officials have had landmarks named in their honor a sitting presidents private company has never in the history of the United States sought trademark rights in advance of such naming Gerben wrote on his blog These are trademark filings that are completely unprecedentedAnother break with the past Presidents usually have to wait for years after theyve left office to get an airport named after them or dieBill Clinton had to wait 11 years Ronald Reagan nineFor Gerald Ford it took 22 yearsJFK was quickest just one month after his assassinationIf Trump gets his airport it will join a long line of organizations buildings and other public things renamed for him in recent months including the Kennedy Center performing arts venue a road outside MaraLago dubbed the President Donald J Trump Boulevard and a yettobuilt new class of battleshipsThe airport trademark applications filed by a family company unit called DTTM Operations with the US Patent and Trademark Office are for the use of three names President Donald J Trump International Airport Donald J Trump International Airport and DJTThe Trump companys claim that it is the most infringed trademark in the world could not be quickly confirmedGucci has faced tens of thousands of copycat items since the early 1970s when Trump was starting out in Manhattan real estate Prada has been active suing companies for years and Rolex battles fake watches by the millionsThe family has been on a branding spree in the past year putting the Trump name on towers golf resorts and residential developments in Dubai India Saudi Arabia and Vietnam The company has also been selling Trump branded electric guitars bibles and sneakers ventures that also fall under the DTTM unitIn response to criticism that he and his family are profiting off the presidency Trump has said that his business is held in trust by his sons and that he has no daytoday involvement in the companyThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever