Former Twitter Legal Counsel Launches 'Twitter.now' Platform, Sparking Legal Battle with X
Stephen Coates, a former Twitter legal counsel, has launched a new social platform called "Twitter.now" through his startup Operation Bluebird. The platform aims to reclaim the abandoned "Twitter" brand and features an AI-powered fact-checking system named Vera, prompting legal opposition from Elon Musk's X Corp. This case tests the legal boundaries of trademark abandonment after a major corporate rebranding, potentially setting a precedent for how retired brand assets are treated. Additionally, it highlights the growing trend of integrating AI-driven fact-checking directly into social media feeds to combat misinformation. While X Corp. sought to block the launch, a Delaware judge previously noted that X appeared to have abandoned its intellectual property claims over the "Twitter" and "tweet" branding. Currently in its early stages with only a few hundred users, Twitter.now charges a $20 early access fee and uses Google Gemini to power its Vera fact-checking system.
## BACKGROUND
In July 2023, Elon Musk rebranded Twitter to "X" and subsequently transitioned the domain to x.com, leaving the original Twitter branding and logos largely unused. Under trademark law, a brand can be considered abandoned if its owner stops using it with no intent to resume, opening the door for third parties to claim it.