X confirms ownership of ‘Twitter’ trademarks amid startup challenge
X has rejected the claim and filed a formal opposition.
KATHMANDU: Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter and owned by Elon Musk, has updated its Terms of Service to clearly assert its ownership of the ‘Twitter’ name and all related trademarks.
The move comes after a U.S.-based startup sought to register ‘Twitter’ as a trademark. Virginia-based startup Operation Bluebird filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Dec 2, claiming that X had abandoned the Twitter brand.
The company cited a July 23, 2023 post by Musk, in which he mentioned that the social media platform would soon “say goodbye to the Twitter brand.”
X has rejected the claim and filed a formal opposition.
According to TechCrunch, the announcement was made through the intellectual property and trademark law firm Garban IP, though the documents were not yet visible in the U.S. court system at the time of reporting.
In its opposition, X reaffirmed its exclusive rights over the ‘Twitter’ and ‘Tweet’ trademarks, as well as the iconic blue bird logo.
Meanwhile, Operation Bluebird has begun registering potential usernames through its website, ‘Twitter.new’
The initiative is led by Illinois-based attorney Michael Perof and former Twitter trademark lawyer Stephen Coates.
Analysts suggest the move is more likely aimed at securing the Twitter trademark rather than launching a competitive social media platform.
In response to this potential risk, X revised its Terms of Service. Previously, the terms referenced only ‘X’ and made no mention of the ‘Twitter’ name. The updated terms also include revisions aligned with European Union law and content creation guidelines.
