X Corp filed suit on Tuesday in Delaware federal court against Virginia-based Operation Bluebird, accusing the company of trademark infringement after it sought to cancel X’s federal Twitter trademarks. The startup has argued that X abandoned the Twitter brand following its high-profile rebranding, clearing the way for a new platform that would aim to “bring Twitter back.”
In its complaint, X rejected that claim, insisting the Twitter brand remains active and legally protected. The company said the marks are “alive and well” and “not ripe for the picking,” characterizing Bluebird’s effort as an attempt to improperly seize one of the world’s most recognizable names in social media.
Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion and later rebranded the platform as X, signaling a dramatic shift in corporate identity. In a 2023 post, Musk said the company would “bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds,” language that has since become central to Bluebird’s argument that the trademarks were abandoned.
Operation Bluebird formally asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on December 2 to cancel X’s Twitter trademarks, contending that X no longer uses them in commerce. The startup has said it plans to launch a competing platform under the name “twitter.new” and has separately applied to register its own Twitter mark. The petition was filed by Stephen Coates, a former Twitter trademark attorney who now serves as Bluebird’s general counsel.
X countered in its lawsuit that a rebrand does not amount to abandonment under trademark law. The company argued that millions of users still access the platform through twitter.com, that users and advertisers continue to refer to the service as Twitter, and that X actively maintains and enforces its Twitter-related trademarks.
“Twitter is one of the world’s most recognized brands, and it belongs to X Corp,” the complaint said, adding that Bluebird’s proposed platform would likely confuse consumers. X is seeking unspecified monetary damages in addition to court orders blocking Bluebird’s use of the name.
Bluebird founder Michael Peroff defended the startup’s position, saying its cancellation petition is grounded in established trademark law and expressing confidence in the outcome. “We are prepared to take this as far as we need to in order to achieve our goal,” he said in a statement.
Spokespeople and attorneys for X did not immediately respond to requests for comment beyond the court filing. As the case proceeds, it could test the limits of trademark protection in the era of high-profile corporate rebrands—and determine whether the Twitter name can truly be reclaimed or remains firmly under X’s control.