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Inter Milan In Legal Battle With David Beckham Over His MLS Club Inter Miami

Inter Milan In Legal Battle With David Beckham Over His MLS Club Inter Miami

Beckham's MLS franchise are opposing Inter's claim...

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

David Beckham is in the middle of a legal battle with Serie A giants Inter Milan in relation to the name of the MLS franchise.

Beckham announced in 2014 that he intended to buy an MLS franchise and then four years later, in September 2018, it was announced that the club would be known as Internacional Club de Futbol Miami, or Inter Miami for short.

The club crest, colours and first season in MLS was also revealed.

However a spanner in the works has arrived, as back in 2014, the Nerazzurri filed a US Patent and Trademark application in 2014 in a bid to make the word 'Inter' exclusive to them.

But the Miami franchise are contesting it, filing an opposition on 25 March and pointing out that there are several other clubs with 'Inter' in their name, such as Inter Nashville FC, Inter Atlanta FC and Inter Leipzig.

Image: USPT
Image: USPT

"Because of the widespread use of the term 'Inter' in soccer, the relevant consumers do not associate the term 'Inter' with one soccer team; 'Inter' by itself is not a source indicator in connection with goods and services associated with soccer," MLS opposition paperwork states.

"MLS will be damaged by the registration sought by Applicant [Inter Milan] because such a registration would prevent registration of the term 'Inter' with other wording upon a showing of acquired distinctiveness in connection with a soccer team."

Beckham's club are yet to do any business in the transfer market as things are still progressing but Atletico Madrid and France star Antoine Griezmann, who grew up idolising Beckham, has als

"If Beckham wants me in his club, then I'll go," he told L'Equipe via Goal. "I want to finish my career in the US. I don't know yet if it's going to be in Miami or Los Angeles.

"They are two great cities. I like the mentality and the show culture of the US."

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Topics: Serie A, David Beckham, MLS, Italian Football, Inter Miami, Italy, Beckham, Inter Milan