X Updates Terms, Countersues Over 'Twitter' Trademark

X Corp. Reasserts Trademark Rights to “Twitter”

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, is revising its Terms of Service to explicitly state its continued ownership of the Twitter trademark. This adjustment arrives in response to a trademark application submitted by a Virginia-based company.

Trademark Challenge from Operation Bluebird

Operation Bluebird, the startup in question, argues that X relinquished its rights to the Twitter brand through the platform’s rebranding to “X.” The company’s petition to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, filed on December 2nd, referenced a July 23, 2023, statement by X owner Elon Musk.

Musk’s statement indicated an impending departure from the Twitter brand identity. Operation Bluebird contends this signifies abandonment of the trademark.

X Corp.’s Counter-Claim

X is actively contesting this claim with a countersuit. The filing, shared with TechCrunch by Gerben IP, asserts that X retains exclusive ownership of the Twitter and Tweet trademarks, as well as the iconic bluebird logo.

The filing is currently unavailable on PACER as of this publication’s time.

Operation Bluebird’s Activities

Since initiating its petition, Operation Bluebird has been gathering potential users for a new social network via the domain Twitter.new.

The venture is led by two legal professionals: founder Michael Peroff, located in Illinois, and Stephen Coates, a former trademark lawyer at Twitter.

Given their legal backgrounds, the stated intention to launch a competing service appears questionable. It is more probable that their primary goal is to acquire the valuable Twitter trademark.

Updated Terms of Service

X is proactively safeguarding its intellectual property. The revised Terms of Service, effective January 15, 2026, now explicitly include the following statement:

Previously, the Terms of Service only referenced “X” within this section, omitting any mention of Twitter.

Additional Updates

Beyond the trademark clarification, the Terms of Service include minor updates related to EU regulations and content generation.

Furthermore, X’s Privacy Policy has been updated to reflect the integration of age assurance technologies.

Note: This article has been updated to include a link to the countersuit following its initial release.