Elon Musk's X Corp has initiated legal proceedings against a social media startup, Operation Bluebird, which is attempting to claim the 'Twitter' brand for itself. The lawsuit, filed in a Delaware federal court on Tuesday 16 December 2025, alleges trademark infringement.
The Core of the Legal Dispute
The conflict stems from a petition filed by Virginia-based Operation Bluebird with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on 2 December. The startup argued that X Corp had abandoned the federal 'Twitter' trademarks following Musk's high-profile rebrand of the platform to X in 2023. Operation Bluebird stated its intention to use the trademarks for a rival platform named 'twitter.new' and has separately applied to register its own 'Twitter' mark.
Michael Peroff, founder of Operation Bluebird, responded to the lawsuit, stating: "Our cancellation petition is based on well-established trademark law and we believe we will be successful. We are prepared to take this as far as we need to in order to achieve our goal." Notably, the petition was filed by Stephen Coates, a former Twitter trademark lawyer who now acts as general counsel for Bluebird.
X Corp's Defence of the Twitter Brand
In its legal filing, X Corp firmly rejected the claim of abandonment. The company asserted that the Twitter brand remains "alive and well" and is "not ripe for the picking." X Corp emphasised that millions of users still access the platform via twitter.com and that both users and businesses continue to refer to the service as Twitter.
"Twitter is one of the world’s most recognized brands, and it belongs to X Corp," the lawsuit stated. It added a clear legal argument: "Simply put, a rebrand is not an abandonment of trademark rights." The company maintains and enforces its Twitter trademarks, arguing that Bluebird's proposed platform would cause significant consumer confusion. X Corp is seeking an unspecified amount in monetary damages.
Background and Broader Implications
This legal battle has its roots in Elon Musk's $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in 2022. The subsequent rebranding to X was signalled in a 2023 social media post where Musk said the company would "bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds."
Representatives and lawyers for X Corp did not immediately provide comment on the new lawsuit when requested. The case highlights the complex and valuable nature of digital brand identity in the modern era, setting a potential precedent for how trademark law interprets major corporate rebrands in the tech sector. The outcome will be closely watched by intellectual property experts and the social media industry alike.
