Violation of trademark rights
Short message service “X” receives lawsuit in Florida
October 3, 2023, 12:44 a.m
Listen to article
This audio version was artificially generated. More info | Send feedback
Twitter has been called X for a while now. However, the new name could also come with some trademark infringements. Many companies have registered corresponding trademarks long before, including the US company X Social Media. That’s now filing a lawsuit.
Tesla boss Elon Musk’s short message service X has been sued by another US company with the letter in its name. X Social Media argued in federal court in Florida that Musk’s renaming of Twitter in July violated his right to the trademark. The advertising agency has been using “X Social Media” since 2016 and has invested more than $400 million in Facebook advertising.
Twitter’s renaming confused customers and resulted in lost revenue. X Social Media is demanding that Musk’s service be banned from using the letter and is seeking damages. There were no statements from X or X Social Media. Musk’s company could face numerous trademark disputes over the letter “X,” which appears in hundreds of trademarked names. Things are just as critical in the EU. As Politico writes, more than 260 Xs are registered as trademarks in a database managed by the European Union Intellectual Property Office.
These include, among others, the car manufacturer Honda, Adidas, and the band Metallica, which registered the “X” as a trademark in the EU. Hardware and software giant Microsoft has two logos with “X” in Germany alone, such as the logo of the Xbox game console. There will also be more Microsoft brands in Great Britain. It is also interesting that the media group Freemantle Media has registered trademarks in the EU for its talent show “X Factor”.
It is still unclear whether there will be further legal action. However, there are said to have already been warnings. Depending on the reputation of a company’s established brand, an infringement can lead to enormous amounts in dispute. Since July 2023, Twitter has been called X as part of a rebranding.