X has updated its terms of service and filed a counterpetition to defend its ownership of Twitter trademarks against a startup's challenge. The move comes after Operation Bluebird, founded by a former Twitter executive, sought to cancel X's trademarks to launch a new social platform. This dispute highlights ongoing tensions over the legacy of the rebranded social media service.
In a recent development, X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has revised its terms of service to explicitly reference both X and Twitter branding. The update, effective January 16, 2025, states that users have no right to use the X name, Twitter name, or associated trademarks without permission. This change coincides with X filing a petition asserting that the Twitter trademarks remain its exclusive property.
The catalyst for X's actions is Operation Bluebird, a startup co-founded by Stephen Coates, who previously served as Twitter's general counsel. Last week, Operation Bluebird petitioned the US Patent and Trademark Office to cancel X's control over the Twitter and Tweet brands. In its filing, the company argued that these brands have been eradicated from X's products and marketing, indicating abandonment with no intent to resume use. Operation Bluebird aims to register the marks for its own social media platform, planned for the domain twitter.new.
Coates emphasized the legal basis of their claim in a statement: “X legally abandoned the TWITTER mark, publicly declared the Twitter brand ‘dead,’ and spent substantial resources establishing a new brand identity. Our cancellation petition is based on well-established trademark law and we believe we will be successful. They said goodbye. We say hello.”
This conflict echoes Elon Musk's 2022 announcement shortly after acquiring Twitter, where he declared, "And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds." Despite the rebranding to X and removal of bird imagery, remnants persist, such as the redirection from twitter.com to x.com.
Operation Bluebird has already garnered interest, with over 145,200 users claiming handles on its platform. X's response suggests it views the trademarks as valuable assets worth protecting, even as it builds a distinct identity.
