Elon Musk’s Twitter Rebranding Raises Trademark Lawsuit Concerns
Elon Musk’s recent announcement of rebranding Twitter to ‘X’ has sparked concerns about potential trademark infringements and lawsuits. It has come to light that there are nearly 900 active U.S. trademark registrations that cover the letter ‘X’ and branding associated with it. As a result, X Social Media, a Florida-based ad agency, has filed a lawsuit against Musk’s ‘X’, claiming trademark infringement.
X Social Media argues that it has been using the “X Social Media Mark” since 2016 and has invested significantly in creating marketplace awareness for its brand. Their ‘X’ mark is distinct from Musk’s, as it features a figure of a person holding scales, symbolizing the company’s specialty in serving the legal industry.
The lawsuit argues that Twitter’s rebranding to ‘X’ has caused serious irreparable harm to X Social Media and has led to consumer confusion. As evidence, X Social Media points to the lower search rankings for its own name, as Google often directs users to X Corp.’s Wikipedia entry instead.
It is worth noting that X Corp., the parent company of Twitter, has trademark applications for services similar to those offered by X Social Media. The Florida-based agency sent a cease-and-desist letter to X Corp. in August, asking them to stop using the ‘X’ mark, but the company refused to comply with the request.
X Social Media’s lawsuit seeks to not only prohibit X Corp. from using the ‘X’ in their advertising and marketing materials but also demands corrective advertising and damages.
Trademark attorney, Josh Gerben, is warning that there is a “100% chance” Twitter will face legal action over the rebranding. However, X Corp. has yet to provide any comment on the ongoing lawsuit.
As the case unfolds, it will be interesting to see how the court will address the concerns raised by X Social Media and decide on the potential trademark infringement claims associated with Musk’s rebranding of Twitter to ‘X’.
“Social media scholar. Reader. Zombieaholic. Hardcore music maven. Web fanatic. Coffee practitioner. Explorer.”