In a significant update to its Terms of Service, X Corporation has explicitly reaffirmed its ownership of the “Twitter” trademark. This move comes in response to a challenge by Virginia-based startup Operation Bluebird, which has filed a petition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to cancel the “Twitter” and “Tweet” trademarks. Operation Bluebird claims that Elon Musk’s decision to rebrand Twitter as X amounts to abandonment of these trademarks.
Effective January 15, 2026, X’s new terms prohibit the use of both X and Twitter’s names, trademarks, and logos without written consent. Meanwhile, Operation Bluebird—led by trademark attorneys, including a former Twitter trademark lawyer—believes Musk’s rebranding signifies an opportunity to reclaim the “Twitter” brand. They aim to launch a new social media platform called Twitter.new by late 2026, intending to replicate the original Twitter experience with features like AI-powered fact-checking and moderation.
X, in response, has filed a lawsuit against Operation Bluebird, challenging the claims of abandonment and seeking to block the startup from using the Twitter-related trademarks. The corporation argues that the rebranding to X doesn’t equate to abandoning the brand, pointing out continued user references and millions of users accessing the platform via <a href="http://twitter.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">twitter.com</a>.
The dispute highlights a complex legal battle over whether rebranding constitutes trademark abandonment under U.S. law. As Operation Bluebird gathers sign-ups for their potential rival service, the outcome of this legal confrontation could set a precedent in trademark law and the rights of companies following a major rebranding.

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X Corporation updated its Terms of Service to explicitly claim ownership of the 'Twitter' trademark, responding to a USPTO petition by Operation Bluebird seeking to cancel the trademarks. The Virginia startup, led by trademark attorneys including a former Twitter lawyer, argues that rebranding to X constitutes trademark abandonment and plans to launch Twitter.new in late 2026. X has filed a lawsuit arguing that continued user references and traffic via twitter.com demonstrate ongoing use. The legal battle could establish important precedent on whether corporate rebranding equals trademark abandonment.

Operation Bluebird Aims to Revive the Twitter Brand

The biggest problem is not renaming it to X in the first place, but people actually listening to companies. People should stop listening and use the correct word, i.e. Twitter, all along, without ever mentioning “X”, at all.
The same way, I call Twitter still Twitter today. “X” is not a brand, not a name. It is a meaningless placeholder letter.
Sometimes, I even call “OneDrive” still SkyDrive, today. I don’t listen to companies. So shouldn’t you, either.

It be hard to break the through when you have bluesky and X as the main. You might grab nostalgia but I think people have decided for the most part what bubble they want to live in.

Woooow good luck. Crazy mission. Everything is possible. If you can dream it you can… But not sure this is worth the time. :)

I wish them the best. Sounds like a kamikaze mission.