X Wins Court Order Over "Twitter" Name

Elon Musk's X has obtained a court order preventing Operation Bluebird from launching an app under the "Twitter" name. In a ruling on Thursday, Chief Judge Colm Connolly determined that X was likely to prevail in its trademark infringement and dilution claims, emphasizing that X has not fully abandoned the "Twitter" name.

The court found X's argument compelling that the "formerly known as Twitter" clause in the X app's App Store listing serves to connect users to the platform. Evidence also indicated that "Twitter" remains a recognized brand, and X continues to leverage its associated goodwill. The judge noted this parenthetical phrase informs customers that the service they knew as Twitter is now accessible via the X app.

However, X's bid to block the use of the "tweet" term and the bird logo was denied. Judge Connolly cited Musk's public statements as evidence of an intent to discontinue use of these marks. The court determined that old webpages and social media accounts featuring these elements were remnants of past use, not current bona fide usage.

Operation Bluebird's president, Stephen Coates, celebrated the ruling, stating, "They kept the word. They let go of the bird, and they let go of the tweet." Following the decision, Operation Bluebird has rebranded its app from "twitter.new" to "Tweet.App." The organization aims to launch a member-owned service as an alternative to Musk's platform, offering membership for $20.