When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
X has taken legal steps to protect the Twitter trademark, revising its legal agreements and filing a lawsuit as a U.S. startup, Operation Bluebird seeks to gain control of one of the most iconic brands in technology.
On December 16, 2025, X Corp filed a legal action in Delaware federal court against Operation Bluebird, alleging that the company was brazenly trying to use the Twitter trademarks.
The issue focuses on whether Elon Musk abandoned the Twitter brand when he renamed the social platform to X in July 2023. Operation Bluebird, a startup from Virginia, claims he did.
In a petition submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on December 2, the group claims that Musk’s rebranding constituted trademark abandonment. Also, it referenced his 2023 remark that the platform would shortly “say goodbye to the Twitter brand.”
X completely dismisses that argument. In its legal document, the company declared: “The TWITTER brand is thriving and owned by X Corp., and is not available for acquisition.” It also stated that it still retains exclusive rights to the trademarks of Twitter and Tweet, along with the bluebird logo, all of which remain registered with the United States Patent Office (USPTO).
Outside of the courtroom, X has made efforts to strengthen its stance in documentation. The revised Terms of Service, effective January 15, 2026, now clearly limit the use of both X and Twitter branding. The provision states:
“The Terms do not grant you any rights to use the X name, Twitter name, or any X or Twitter trademarks, logos, domain names, distinctive brand elements, or proprietary rights, and you are prohibited from doing so without our explicit written permission”.
In the past, this section only addressed X. Twitter was not referenced whatsoever.
View Other Posts on this Site
Epic Games vs Apple Lawsuit Escalates Amid Judge’s Demand
Grammarly Changes its Name to Superhuman, Launches New Set of Tools
Operation Bluebird Oversteps X’s Redline
Operation Bluebird continues to breach X’s red line by taking steps to launch a social network via a site named Twitter. The move is led by two lawyers: Michael Peroff, the founder, located in Illinois, and Stephen Coates, who formerly served as a trademark attorney at Twitter.
Considering that context, many observers wonder if a competing platform is genuinely the objective. It seems obvious that the main catch could be the trademark itself. ‘Twitter’ retains substantial commercial value even in the absence of an active product linked to the name.
Twitter stands as one of the most recognised entities in the digital economy. X appears to be resistant to allowing any legal loophole to exist because of a potential to relaunch in future.
The revised legal documents also contain minor alterations related to European Union regulations and revised Privacy Policy to include references to age verification technology.
X argues that Twitter is not a relic but a valuable asset, its trademark remains under ownership. Also, it is firmly protected and is now integrated into the company’s legal structure.
OpenAI’s Cameo Trademark Dispute
Recently, OpenAI’s Sora app also faces a legal challenge over its “Cameo” video feature from the celebrity-message platform Cameo, which claims trademark infringement. A U.S. federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order, preventing OpenAI from using the “cameo” name within Sora until at least late December 2025. Cameo’s CEO argues this protects the public from brand confusion, while OpenAI contends no company should own such a common word. The dispute will be argued at a hearing scheduled for December 19, 2025. This conflict highlights the legal tensions that can arise as tech companies brand new AI-powered features.
