X Social Media LLC Sues X Corp. (Formerly Twitter Inc.) for Trademark Infringement
X Social Media LLC, a company specializing in connecting law firms and clients through social media, has filed a lawsuit against X Corp., formerly known as Twitter Inc., for trademark infringement in Florida federal court. The complaint alleges that X Corp., under the ownership of Elon Musk, rebranded to “X” without regard for X Social Media’s pre-existing rights to the trademark.
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida, claims that Twitter’s sudden name change has caused confusion among consumers, leading them to believe that X Social Media is affiliated with X Corp. This misunderstanding has reportedly resulted in financial and strategic harm to X Social Media, causing a loss of revenue.
X Social Media, founded in 2015, asserts in the complaint that it has invested significant resources in building brand awareness around the letter “X,” which symbolizes a journey towards justice for victims of dangerous goods and services. The company holds a federal trademark registration for “X SocialMedia” and operates the website xsocialmedia.com.
Despite sending a cease-and-desist letter to X Corp. in August, X Social Media claims that the company refused to address the trademark infringement issue. X Corp. has allegedly applied for seven trademark registrations with the US Patent and Trademark Office.
This legal dispute is part of a trend in the tech industry where rebranding efforts have led to trademark lawsuits. Meta Platforms Inc.’s transition to Meta, focusing on metaverse products, has also faced legal challenges from various companies. Similarly, Block Inc.’s rebranding from Square resulted in a trademark battle with H&R Block Inc., which was settled earlier this year.
Gerben Perrott PLLC is representing X Social Media in this case. The lawsuit is identified as X Social Media LLC v. X Corp., M.D. Fla., No. 6:23-cv-01903, with the complaint filed on October 2, 2023.