Elon Musk’s decision to rebrand Twitter as X is facing its first major legal test. X Corp. has filed a lawsuit against Virginia startup Operation Bluebird, which aims to relaunch Twitter as a standalone social network. The case turns a trademark cancellation petition into a full-blown courtroom battle over one of tech’s most recognizable names.
Operation Bluebird argued that Musk and X abandoned the Twitter brand, citing the 2023 declaration that the platform’s bird logo and name were finished. The startup has a working prototype and over 145,000 reserved usernames, positioning itself as a familiar alternative for users seeking the old Twitter experience.
X Corp. rejects claims of abandonment, pointing out that posts are still called tweets, the Twitter bird icon appears on many links, and twitter.com redirects millions of visitors to X. The company frames the suit as a defense of its intellectual property, accusing Operation Bluebird of trying to profit from Twitter’s legacy.
The lawsuit underscores a key question in tech branding: can a company truly abandon an iconic platform.