Court strips X of 'Tweet' trademark in legal battle with rival startup

The ruling allows the Virginia-based startup to pivot to its new identity, Tweet.app, after the court found that X failed to demonstrate a bona fide intent to continue using the legacy branding. Judge Colm F. Connolly granted X a preliminary injunction against eight other marks, but the decision specifically carves out the “tweet” trademark, suggesting the company relinquished its claim when it pivoted to the X rebrand.

Operation Bluebird is led by attorneys Michael Peroff and Stephen Coates, the latter a former trademark lawyer for Twitter. Their strategy centers on reclaiming assets Musk discarded during the platform’s transition. While the startup claims to be building a social network, its business model—charging users $20 to reserve handles—suggests a focus on capitalizing on the brand’s residual value. Despite the legal ambiguity, over 172,000 individuals have already registered for access. The court case remains ongoing, as the legal battle shifts toward determining whether X can permanently lose rights to the marks it once defined.