The group argues that X no longer uses Twitter’s name, terms, or bluebird logo, amounting to trademark abandonment.
Operation Bluebird plans to launch a new platform called Twitter.new if it wins the trademarks.
Legal experts say the effort faces hurdles, as proving complete abandonment of the marks will be difficult.
Operation Bluebird, a new startup group, has reportedly filed a petition with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to remove X Corp’s right to the Twitter and Tweet trademarks, stating that Elon Musk’s company has effectively abandoned the legacy brand since rebranding the platform to X.
SurveyIn the filing, as per Reuters, the group claims that the original Twitter identity, including name, terminology, and iconic bluebird logo, has been completely phased out and no longer appears in X’s products, services, or marketing. The petition argues this constitutes abandonment with no intention to resume use.
According to Ars Technica, citing Operation Bluebird statement, the group, if successful, plans to launch a new social network under the name Twitter.new, potentially by late next year. The team also said that the prototype is already built, and users are being allowed to reserve handles in advance.
Michael Peroff, an Illinois-based attorney spearheading the effort, stated that although several Twitter-like platforms have emerged since Musk’s takeover, including Threads, Mastodon, and Bluesky, none have come close to replicating Twitter’s former influence on public discourse. “We haven’t seen anything yet that matches the scale or cultural impact the old Twitter had,” he said.
Stephen Coates, Peroff’s partner and former general counsel at Twitter, stated that the project aims to revive the classic town square atmosphere, which the platform was known to offer a few years back. He also described wanting to bring back the real-time, communal experience of reacting to major global events along with celebrities, journalists and everyday users.
However, Trademark experts believe that Operation Bluebird faces a challenging legal path as the group would need to prove that X has abandoned the marks entirely and the minimal token use by Musk’s company would not be enough to maintain ownership.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
