A U.S. company has filed to cancel the trademark rights for "Twitter" and "Tweet," as they are no longer in use. Elon Musk abandoned these terms after rebranding to X. The applicant, Operation Bluebir...
A U.S. startup has asked the United States Patent and Trademark Office to revoke the protection of the terms “Twitter” and “Tweet.” The reason is the intention to establish a new social network that could use these terms. The company Operation Bluebird, which filed this request, plans a new internet offering at the address twitter.new.
Operation Bluebird has not only filed a petition to cancel the registered terms but also submitted its own patent application for the “Twitter” trademark. Both documents have been published by the news agency Reuters. They reveal that Bluebird supports its demand with a public statement from Musk, indicating he no longer intends to use the Twitter brand. This is highlighted as a key point in the application to achieve the cancellation of trademark rights.
Musk had announced years ago that he would part ways with the Twitter brand. The switch to X was accompanied by a logo change and the transition of central systems to X.com. In spring 2024, Musk confirmed that all systems now operate under X.com. Some trademark rights were not renewed and were intentionally allowed to expire. A statement from X regarding these developments is not yet available.
Stephen Coates, the trademark attorney responsible for the application, told Reuters that the case is straightforward. Since X no longer commercially uses the brand, its abandonment was lawful. On LinkedIn, he stated that it’s about fixing something that’s broken. An independent expert expressed doubts that X could defend the rights to the terms, as they are no longer in use. It remains unclear whether Musk has an interest in defending the trademark rights.
Also of interest: ChatGPT Creators Plan Their Own X Alternative
Elon Musk acquired Twitter in the fall of 2022 for $44 billion. The acquisition led to a period of uncertainty, during which many users switched to alternative platforms. Despite these challenges, the now-renamed network recently reached similar usage numbers as Meta’s Threads. Previously, numerous public institutions such as governments, agencies, NGOs, and companies used Twitter for open communication with users. Since Musk’s acquisition, many have left the platform and suspended their profiles.
The post Former Trademark Lawyer Aims to Reclaim Twitter appeared first on TECHBOOK.
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