X Corp. wins preliminary ruling to block use of Twitter name

A US federal judge in Delaware has issued a preliminary ruling in a trademark dispute between Elon Musk’s X Corp. and the startup Operation Bluebird. Judge Colm F. Connolly granted X a preliminary injunction to prevent Operation Bluebird from using the “Twitter” name, citing that X still maintains commercial use of the brand, such as in its App Store description “X (formerly known as Twitter).”

However, the ruling was not a total victory for X. The court denied X’s request for protection over the term “tweet” and the iconic blue bird logo. Judge Connolly concluded that Operation Bluebird is likely to succeed in arguing that X has abandoned its rights to these specific marks by no longer using them in a genuine commercial capacity since the 2023 rebrand.

In response to the ruling, Operation Bluebird has rebranded its platform from “Twitter. now” to “Tweet. app.” The startup, which aims to capture the legacy of the former social network, has already seen significant interest, with over 172,000 users reportedly reserving handles. The legal battle over the definitive ownership of these trademarks continues.