Startup revives Twitter brand with Twitter.now amid legal fight with Musk’s X

Twitter, the social media platform that once set the standard for real-time online conversation, is at the heart of a new legal and technical struggle after a startup introduced a platform aimed at reviving the Twitter name. Operation Bluebird, a company based in Virginia, has launched Twitter.now, which it describes as a reimagined version of the original Twitter, focusing on trust, free expression, and user control.

This launch comes as the startup finds itself in a trademark dispute with X Corporation, the entity created when Elon Musk purchased Twitter in 2022 and renamed it X.

Twitter was founded in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams. It quickly became a go-to platform for short, real-time posts, playing a key role in fostering global online conversations in public spaces.

Over the years, the social media platform gained significance for breaking news, political debates, entertainment, and public discourse. Its bluebird logo and the term “tweet” became synonymous with social media.

Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion in 2022. After the acquisition, he changed the company’s name to X and altered much of the platform’s visual identity, including the iconic bird branding.

Operation Bluebird argues that X’s abandonment of the Twitter brand could allow it to secure rights to the trademarks. The company was founded by individuals who had connections to the early Twitter ecosystem, including Stephen Coates, a former general counsel at the company.

Operation Bluebird takes the fight to court

Operation Bluebird initiated efforts to secure the Twitter trademarks by arguing that X had abandoned its rights associated with the old brand. The situation intensified in late 2025 when X Corporation filed a lawsuit against the startup, aiming to prevent it from launching a new social media platform under the original name.

In April 2026, a US federal court hearing provided some encouraging remarks for Operation Bluebird. Judge Colm Connolly suggested that X might have abandoned its intellectual property claims regarding terms like “tweet,” the bird logo, and potentially the name itself. However, the judge has not yet issued a written order to resolve the issue.

Faced with prolonged uncertainty, Coates, a representative from Operation Bluebird, stated that the startup decided to move forward with its launch.

“We are a small company, we have investors, and we have a product,” Coates explained to Ars Technica, emphasising the lengthy wait they had already endured for the court proceedings to advance.

Despite the ongoing legal dispute, Operation Bluebird believes that its interpretation of the court’s comments gives it enough leeway to proceed with the launch.

Twitter.now is not just a revamped version of old Twitter; it aims to create a social network focused on “trust first.” It will offer tools for users to control what shows up in their feeds.

Also read: “Better than X”: Ryanair CEO mocks Elon Musk over Twitter returns

One feature, called Vera, is an AI system that checks the truthfulness of claims in posts without judging the person making them. Another feature, Trust Dial, lets users decide how much low-trust content they want to see by reducing its visibility instead of deleting it. The platform emphasises “freedom of speech, not freedom of reach.”

Additionally, it will reintroduce familiar features from the original app, like replies and reposts.

Twitter.now users will pay to get in early

Twitter.now is using a paid early-access model, allowing users to pay $20 to become Founders, which gives them early access and a special badge. Those contributing $40 or more are called Fighters and receive an extra badge.

The early-access approach aims to prevent bots and support development and legal efforts related to the original brand. The new company promises not to sell user data and aims to protect user privacy.

The startup faces two main challenges: creating a successful social network and fighting for the rights to a brand still associated with a major tech company. The legal dispute with Operation Bluebird over the Twitter trademark is ongoing, meaning the brand hasn’t been officially returned yet.

Stephen Coates

Twitter.now is trying to establish itself as a new platform based on the Twitter identity that its founders believe was neglected by Musk when he rebranded it as X. It’s uncertain if they can reclaim the brand in court, attract enough users, and successfully differentiate themselves from X.

Also read: Elon Musk affirms X has been underpaying creators