Court Blocks Startup from Using Twitter Name but Allows Use of 'Tweet' Trademark

A federal court in Delaware has issued a preliminary ruling in a trademark dispute involving Elon Musk’s social media platform X and a startup called Operation Bluebird. The startup initially launched under the name Twitter.now but was barred by the court from using the Twitter name, as the court sided with X on the core Twitter trademark. However, the court found that X likely abandoned two related trademarks: the word “tweet” and the Twitter bird logo. As a result, Operation Bluebird has rebranded its platform as Tweet.app and launched it publicly. Operation Bluebird, based in Virginia and led by lawyers Michael Peroff and Stephen Coates, appears focused on acquiring trademarks that X relinquished during its rebranding from Twitter to X. The startup’s website openly states its goal is to reclaim trademarks dropped by Musk’s company. Despite skepticism about the startup’s intent to build a unique social network, Tweet.app has attracted significant interest, with over 172,000 users requesting handles before launch. The company charges $20 for handle reservations, likely to offset legal costs. U.S. District Court Judge Colm F. Connolly issued a split ruling on X’s request for a preliminary injunction. The judge granted X’s motion regarding eight Twitter-related marks but denied it for the Tweet mark and the Twitter bird logo. The judge noted that Operation Bluebird is likely to prove that X discontinued genuine use of these marks and does not intend to resume their use. The case will continue as the court further examines whether X retains rights to any Twitter trademarks following its rebranding. Operation Bluebird’s president, Coates, emphasized that the word “tweet” remains in public use despite the company’s efforts to replace it, suggesting the trademark belongs to the public rather than X.