**Resurrecting Twitter: A Startup’s Daring Challenge to X Corporation**
Opting to let go of one of the most recognizable brands globally was among the many creative choices made by Elon Musk when he acquired Twitter and rebranded it as X. Now, a startup aims to bring back the original name, claiming that X Corporation no longer requires the trademark.
The legal discussions could become quite fascinating, particularly since one of the individuals involved in the initiative is Stephen Coates – the former general counsel of Twitter.
### Startup Seeks to Relaunch Twitter
A Virginia-based startup named “Operation Bluebird” revealed this week that it has submitted a formal petition to the US Patent and Trademark Office, requesting the federal agency to annul X Corporation’s trademarks of the terms “Twitter” and “tweet,” as X has reportedly abandoned them.
The petition asserts, “The TWITTER and TWEET brands have been eliminated from X Corp.’s products, services, and marketing, effectively forsaking the iconic brand, with no plans to resume usage of the mark. The TWITTER bird was grounded.”
There is robust legal precedent for losing trademark protection once the names have been forsaken by their original proprietors. The objective is to initiate a new social network at the domain twitter.new. This domain is already operational, and the company is encouraging users to reserve their usernames now.
### Reddit Introduces Verification Checkmarks
Another decision made by Musk was to discontinue the use of blue checkmarks as a means of confirming ownership of notable Twitter accounts, instead transforming it into a subscription feature. However, the initial purpose of verification checkmarks has been adopted by other social platforms, and now Reddit is following suit.
Reddit is commencing “a limited alpha test” of this feature with a select “curated” group of accounts that includes journalists from major media organizations such as NBC News and the Boston Globe. Businesses already using an “official” badge, which Reddit began testing in 2023, will also be awarded a grey “verified” checkmark instead of the “official” label.
While this currently remains an invitation-only feature for high-visibility accounts, the company indicates that it will eventually be accessible to all. There are no added benefits and no specific criteria aside from ensuring your Reddit account is in good standing and not NSFW-related.
