Home / Technology / X loses Twitter trademarks 'Tweet' and bird logo in court!
X loses Twitter trademarks 'Tweet' and bird logo in court!
4 Sep
Summary
- A court ruled X likely abandoned 'tweet' and the bird logo trademarks.
- Operation Bluebird, now Tweet.app, secured rights to 'tweet' and the bird.
- The startup charges users $20 to reserve a handle on the new platform.
A federal court in Delaware has delivered a split ruling in a trademark dispute between Elon Musk's X and a startup previously known as Twitter.now. The court barred the startup, now operating as Tweet.app, from using the core 'Twitter' name, siding with X.
However, the court also found that X had likely abandoned two other significant trademarks: the word 'tweet' and the distinctive Twitter bird logo. This decision allows Operation Bluebird to utilize these marks, which it has done by rebranding its website to Tweet.app.
The startup, founded by lawyers Michael Peroff and Stephen Coates, is reportedly charging users $20 to reserve a handle. This fee likely contributes to covering legal expenses associated with the ongoing trademark battle.
U.S. District Court Judge Colm F. Connolly's ruling is not final. While X's request for a preliminary injunction was granted for eight marks, it was denied for 'Tweet' and the bird logo. The judge indicated that the startup was likely to succeed in proving X discontinued bona fide use of these marks.
The case will proceed to determine X's ultimate rights to these trademarks, given the company's rebranding to 'X.' Coates stated that the public's continued use of 'tweet' indicates it belongs to the people, not the corporation.
