X updates its terms to assert ownership of the Twitter name after trademark challenge

Just when it seemed like the world had finally accepted that Twitter is now called X, Elon Musk’s company is reminding everyone that the old name isn’t up for grabs, at least not legally.

X has now updated its Terms of Service to explicitly state that it still owns the “Twitter” trademark, along with related branding like “Tweet” and the iconic bluebird logo. This update comes in response to a challenge from a small U.S. startup that claims X abandoned the Twitter brand when it rebranded in 2023.

That startup, Operation Bluebird, recently applied with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark the word “Twitter.” Its argument hinges on Musk’s own words from July 2023, when he said the platform would soon “bid adieu to the Twitter brand.” In trademark law, abandonment can weaken or even void ownership if a company truly stops using a mark and shows no intention to return to it.

But X is pushing back hard on that idea. In a countersuit filed earlier this month, X argues that it never abandoned Twitter in a legal sense. While the filing hasn’t yet appeared publicly in court records, it was shared with TechCrunch by IP law firm Gerben IP.

Meanwhile, Operation Bluebird has been quietly collecting sign-ups for a potential new social network via a site called Twitter.new. The group is led by two lawyers, including founder Michael Peroff and Stephen Coates, a former trademark lawyer at Twitter itself. That background alone has raised eyebrows. Many observers believe this isn’t really about launching a rival platform, but about forcing a trademark negotiation over a name that still carries enormous cultural and commercial value.

X, unsurprisingly, doesn’t want to leave any room for doubt. In its newly updated Terms of Service, set to take effect on January 15, 2026, the company now clearly states that users have no right to use either the X or Twitter name, nor any associated trademarks, logos, or branding, without explicit written permission. This is new. Previously, the terms only mentioned X, leaving Twitter conspicuously absent.

Alongside the trademark clarification, X also made smaller updates to its policies, including references to EU regulations, generated content, and new mentions of age-assurance technology in its Privacy Policy. But it’s the Twitter language that stands out most, especially given Musk’s very public effort to distance the platform from its former identity.

Ironically, this legal maneuver highlights a truth many users already know: no matter how many times it’s renamed, the brand people still recognize, talk about, and argue over is Twitter.

The takeaway

X may call itself X, but it’s clearly not ready to let go of Twitter’s legal and commercial power. The trademark fight shows that while rebranding can change an app’s direction, legacy names still matter, especially when they carry years of cultural relevance and market value. For Musk’s platform, Twitter isn’t dead; it’s just sleeping in the fine print, waiting to be defended.