Both Inter Miami CF and Inter Milan have been at odds over the "Inter" name for some timeJORGE MAS
Serie A club Inter Milan is "taking up a trademark case" with MLS expansion club Inter Miami CF, contending that the "use of the word 'Inter' infringes on a trademark application" the Italian club filed in the U.S., according to Julian Cardillo of PRO SOCCER USA. However, MLS is "arguing that the word 'Inter' is short for 'international' and that the word is a descriptor, making it fair game for any organization to use." The two clubs have "been at odds" over the name "for some time." Inter Milan "sent a sarcastic message" on Twitter in September when Inter Miami "unveiled its name and crest." Another "serendipitous circumstance that may further invigorate" Inter Milan's cause is that Inter Miami co-Owner David Beckham played for AC Milan -- Inter Milan's "bitter, crosstown rivals." Inter Milan and Inter Miami "aren't the only two clubs in the world currently using 'Inter,'" as Finnish club Inter Turku and Brazilian club Sport Club Internacional also use it (PROSOCCERUSA.com, 4/2). Inter Miami Managing Owner Jorge Mas said, "The issues raised are a testament to our city and our team that we are already recognized as a global brand before kicking off" (MIAMI HERALD, 4/3).
DEMO DAY: In Ft. Lauderdale, Brittany Wallman notes Inter Miami "won the unanimous go-ahead" last night to "tear down Lockhart Stadium and the adjacent Fort Lauderdale Stadium in the next six months." Ft. Lauderdale city commissioners signed an "interim agreement" with Beckham so that his group "can start remaking the public property." The group can now "test soil, assess environmental damage, tear down the stadiums, salvage Lockhart bleachers if possible, and begin planning and designing the proposed new soccer complex." Beckham and his business partners are on a "relatively short time line to get a new stadium constructed at Lockhart by next February" (South Florida SUN SENTINEL, 4/3).
