X updates its terms to lay claim to the ‘Twitter’ trademark after newcomer’s challenge

In a strategic move, X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, has revised its Terms of Service to reaffirm its claim to the 'Twitter' trademark. This update comes in response to a Virginia startup, Operation Bluebird, which has recently applied to trademark the name 'Twitter.' Operation Bluebird argues that X has effectively abandoned the 'Twitter' brand by rebranding its platform as 'X.' Their application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, filed on December 2, references a statement from Musk made on July 23, 2023, where he indicated that the company would soon bid farewell to the Twitter brand. In conjunction with their trademark claim, Operation Bluebird has been gathering potential user sign-ups for their own social network via a site called Twitter.new. The initiative is led by two attorneys: Michael Peroff, the founder based in Illinois, and Stephen Coates, a former trademark lawyer at Twitter. While their intentions to launch a competing service may seem questionable given their legal backgrounds, it appears more likely that their primary goal is to secure the valuable trademark. In light of these developments, X is taking no chances. The newly revised Terms of Service, effective January 15, 2026, explicitly state that users do not have the right to use the 'X' or 'Twitter' names, trademarks, logos, or any associated brand features without express written consent from the company. Previously, the terms only mentioned the 'X' branding. Additionally, the updated terms include minor changes related to European Union regulations and content generation, as well as adjustments to the Privacy Policy that reference age verification technologies.