Is Inter Miami related to Inter Milan? Uncovering the Legal Dispute Between the Clubs Over Name

What’s the first team that comes to mind when you hear ‘Inter’? Long-time soccer fans will probably have just one answer- Inter Milan. The Italian side is one of the European elites with a long and prestigious history. Recent years have seen the rise of another franchise that bears the same first name, Inter Miami.

However, to the surprise of some new soccer enthusiasts, the two sides share nothing apart from their prefixes. In fact, the two sides even went through a legal tussle over their names in 2019-20. While it is not uncommon for teams to have the same first name, they usually use this naming for clubs under the same umbrella. 

Inter Miami vs Inter Milan: Who owns the rights to their first name?

Expectations were high for David Beckham‘s new franchise back in 2020. However, the team ran into a brick wall right before the start of the season, finding themselves drafted to the court. Italian giant Inter Milan filed a litigation against the Miami-based franchise in 2019, accusing them of infringing trademark laws.

The Serie A side had an ample reason behind the claim. After all, they have been using the name since 1908. The club has a rich history, with the team branching off from AC Milan after a dispute with the Italian federation that blocked teams from signing overseas stars. AC Milan was the first to fight against the laws, with a few within the club branching out to defy the federation.

The new side named themselves Internazionale, which translates to ‘brothers of the world.’ The team broke the archetype for Italian sides by signing overseas stars as their cornerstones rather than just some last-minute additions. Over the years, the club has reached the same status as its parent body, with Italian fans referring to the side Inter while labeling the Rossoneri as Milan.

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Inter Milan allegedly settle their dispute with David Beckham’s Miami

Now, why was the impromptu history lesson important? Well, Inter Milan used this as their claim to state the team has been using the name for over a decade. So when MLS and Inter Miami appealed against the litigation in front of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), you knew the Italian side was ready to come in all guns blazing.

The long dispute between the two sides saw the USPTO rule favor Inter Milan, claiming neither MLS nor Miami had any rights to use the word or stop Milan from doing the same. However, despite four years since the ruling, the MLS side has continued to use their initial name. According to reports, the two sides signed a discrete settlement in 2021, allowing David Beckham’s side to continue using their name.

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