X Corp, Sued Over Claims of Trademark Infringement by X Social Media, Confusing

X Corp, sued in Florida federal court (photo: twitter @X)

JAKARTA - X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, was sued in Florida federal court on Monday 2 October by a legal marketing company. They  claim that the social media giant's new name infringes on its trademark which includes the letter "X."

The lawsuit by X Social Media states that X Corp, whose owner Elon Musk began rebranding from Twitter to X in July, is likely to cause consumer confusion.

The case appears to be the first in a series of trademark disputes with Musk's company over the letter "X," which is commonly used in technology brands.

"The letter 'X' is covered in hundreds of federal trademarks owned by companies, including Microsoft and Meta Platforms.

X Corp did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this complaint. X Social Media declined to comment.

X Social Media, based in Windermere, Florida, is an advertising agency focused on mass litigation. Its website says that Jacob and Roseanna Malherbe founded the agency in 2015 to connect coastal Florida residents with attorneys after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The lawsuit states that the agency has used the name "X Social Media" since 2016 and owns a federal trademark covering it. They have invested more than 400 million US dollars (IDR 6.2 trillion) in Facebook advertising to reach potential clients.

The company claims that Twitter's re-branding has confused customers and caused them to lose revenue.

"In a short period of time, X Corp has used its social media power, marketing resources, and overall national notoriety to dominate consumer perceptions of its 'X' brand," the lawsuit states.

X Social Media asked the court to force Musk's company to stop using the name "X" and asked for an undisclosed amount in damages.