A Virginia-based startup seeking to revive the Twitter name and iconic bird logo has launched a new social media platform, Twitter.now, despite an ongoing trademark dispute with Elon Musk’s X Corporation.
Operation Bluebird, co-founded by former Twitter general counsel Stephen Coates, said it decided to proceed with the launch after months of waiting for a court ruling in the legal battle.
“We are a small company, we have investors, and we have a product,” Coates told Ars Technica.
He said the company had waited long enough and was no longer prepared to delay the launch.
Startup Challenges X Over Twitter Identity
Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022 and subsequently rebranded the platform as X.
Following the rebranding, Coates and his colleagues argued that the former Twitter identity and related intellectual property had been abandoned.
Operation Bluebird later sought to claim the Twitter trademarks, prompting X Corporation to sue the startup late last year.
X asked a federal court in Delaware to prevent Operation Bluebird from launching a new platform using the Twitter branding.
However, developments at a hearing in April 2026 appeared to strengthen Operation Bluebird’s position.
US District Court Judge Colm Connolly reportedly issued a tentative ruling suggesting that X may have abandoned intellectual property rights associated with the word “tweet”, the Twitter bird logo and potentially the “Twitter” name.
The judge has yet to issue a formal written order.
Operation Bluebird Interprets Ruling as Green Light
Despite the absence of a final written order, Coates said Operation Bluebird interpreted the judge’s comments as sufficient grounds to move forward.
According to Coates, the company believes X has abandoned its rights to the Twitter and “tweet” trademarks.
The startup has also sought to distinguish Twitter.now from Musk’s X, stressing on its website that the new platform has no affiliation with X Corporation.
Twitter.now has already attracted hundreds of users and retains several features associated with the original Twitter, including replies and reposts.
New Platform Promises AI-Powered Fact-Checking
Twitter.now is also attempting to differentiate itself through an emphasis on trust and content verification.
The platform features an automated fact-checking system called Vera, described as a Gemini-based “veracity engine” designed to analyse posts in real time.
Coates said the company wants to build a platform that protects free expression while reducing the spread of harmful and inaccurate information.
He described the startup’s initial goal as creating a safer version of the online “town square” once associated with Twitter.
Trademark Dispute Far From Over
Despite Operation Bluebird’s decision to launch, trademark experts caution that the legal dispute is not over.
Josh Gerben, a Washington-based trademark attorney who has followed the case, said Operation Bluebird may have a viable legal argument that X abandoned the Twitter trademark.
However, he warned that the launch itself could trigger another legal response from X Corporation.
According to Gerben, the situation represents a significant escalation in the dispute.
With Twitter.now now live, the battle over who can legally use the Twitter name, logo and related trademarks could enter a new and potentially decisive phase.