Startup Launches Twitter.now Amid Trademark Battle With X Corp

A Virginia-based startup called Operation Bluebird has launched a new social media platform under the Twitter name and its iconic blue bird logo, reigniting a high-stakes trademark battle with Elon Musk's X Corp. The service, called Twitter.now, went live this week, offering users a familiar interface reminiscent of the platform before Musk's 2022 acquisition and subsequent rebrand to X. The launch represents a direct challenge to X's ownership of the Twitter brand. Operation Bluebird, founded by former Twitter trademark counsel Stephen Coates, argues that Musk abandoned the Twitter name, the word "tweet," and the bird logo when he announced in July 2023 that the company would "bid adieu to the Twitter brand." X Corp. has sued to block the use of the trademarks, contending that a rebrand does not constitute abandonment and that the name remains associated with its platform. The legal dispute escalated in April 2026 when U.S. District Judge Colm Connolly, during a hearing, indicated that X may have surrendered its rights to the "tweet" name and the bird logo, though he left questions about the broader "Twitter" trademark open. No final written ruling has been issued.