A US federal judge has blocked an X rival's plans to use a new Twitter handle before a verdict in a trademark case. The move is expected to allow the X company to rebrand itself and potentially gain an advantage in the market.
The original plan was for X to use the name "X" on its Twitter profile, which had previously been associated with a competing startup called Tweet.app. However, Judge Paul J. Berman has temporarily stayed that decision, giving the company time to appeal. Despite this setback, X has already relaunched as Tweet.app, using the new handle.
The US Patent and Trademark Office had initially granted X's trademark application for "Tweet", but Judge Berman has now found that X was unlikely to have abandoned its trademark and logo in favor of a new name. The case is ongoing, with X expected to appeal further before any final verdict is reached.