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Cities' Beauty Isn't Exclusive

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The Associated Press

Published: December 3, 2007

ORLANDO - Officials from Coral Gables and Orlando have avoided a potentially ugly fight over the right to the nickname "The City Beautiful."

Both had used the slogan for decades, bu10.6t Coral Gables applied last year for a federal trademark seeking exclusive rights.

Orlando filed an objection blocking the application, and the two sides finally reached a deal.

The central Florida jurisdiction can use the nickname in promotional materials in its nearby 22 counties, and Coral Gables can use it in its 10 area South Florida counties.

Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick said the city wasn't trying to swipe Orlando's right to the slogan.

"It was never any kind of nefarious scheme," he said.

"We just were trying to protect our identity, and that's when we ran amok."

Orlando officials, initially upset about having to redraw the city seal, were pleased with the solution.

"I don't think anybody should have exclusive rights to use 'The City Beautiful,'" Orlando City Attorney Mayanne Downs said.

"We don't need exclusive rights; it's not like we're running around selling T-shirts."

Orlando has been using the name since at least 1908, Coral Gables since 1933.

The South Florida home of the University of Miami even wrote it into the official Web site, citybeautiful .net.

The slogan has been used by various towns across the country, from Storm Lake, Iowa, to Kansas City, Mo.

"We don't care if someone else uses it; we just wanted to make sure we didn't lose the ability to use the motto we've been using for over 100 years," Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said.

The sides did not, however, agree on which was more beautiful.

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