"Twitter.now" Revives Bluebird, Challenges "X" Legally
The name "Twitter" and its distinctive blue bird logo have reappeared online via a new social platform, "Twitter.now." An American startup launched it in early access, despite an ongoing legal dispute with "X" over trademark rights. "Operation Bluebird," a Virginia-registered company, is behind the project. It claims "X" legally abandoned "Twitter" and "Tweet" when Elon Musk renamed the original platform to "X" and removed the blue bird logo and associated terminology from its products. This claim is the startup's stance in an unresolved legal dispute. "X" maintains full ownership of the name and logo, accusing its rival of exploiting the fame of a top global brand. Stephen Coates, co-founder of "Operation Bluebird" and former Twitter trademark attorney, stated they are a small company with "investors and a product; we've waited months to launch it and won't wait any longer." The platform offers early access for $20, allowing users to reserve account names and receive a special number and badge as founding members. A "Fighters" tier, starting at $40, contributes funds for product development and the legal battle over the name. Still in early access, the platform isn't fully available yet. It is slated to open to a larger public later, according to "Twitter.now"'s official website. The company positions its project as an effort to rebuild a digital public square for conversations and breaking news, prioritizing trust, transparency, and user control. It plans "VERA" system for post trust indicators and a tool for users to define desired content levels. The aim is to reduce low-trust content, not delete or ban. These features remain part of the platform's vision and some aren't finalized. The "Twitter" name's return is legally unsettled. In December 2023, "X" sued "Operation Bluebird" in a Delaware federal court for trademark infringement, alleging exploitation of the name's fame. This followed the startup's request to the U.S. Patent/Trademark Office to cancel "X"'s "Twitter" registrations and its own application. "X" asserted that changing the platform's name doesn't abandon trademark rights, noting millions still access its site via "twitter.com" (redirecting to "x.com"), and media/users continue using "Twitter" and "Tweet." The suit stated, "Twitter is one of the world's most famous brands, owned by X," reaffirming "renaming a brand does not mean abandoning its rights." "X" sought to enjoin the startup from using the name/marks, rejection of its "Twitter" registration, and unspecified financial damages. During an April 2024 hearing, Federal Judge Colm Connolly gave a preliminary oral opinion, suggesting "X" might have abandoned rights to "Tweet," the blue bird logo, and possibly "Twitter" itself. This opinion was preliminary and oral; the judge hasn't yet issued a written decision on the injunction or mark ownership. "Twitter" has effectively returned online, but its future hinges on the legal outcome with "X." The question remains whether the original platform's transition to a new identity constitutes a legal abandonment of a name associated with it since 2006, or simply a renaming that doesn't affect its ownership rights.
