You don't get it. The Celtics don't own it either, and they'd be stupid to think they did. Twitter does. However: "We reserve the right to reclaim usernames

You don't get it. The Celtics don't own it either, and they'd be stupid to think they did. Twitter does. However: "We reserve the right to reclaim usernames on behalf of businesses or individuals that hold legal claim or trademark on those usernames." -- http://twitter.com/terms http://twitter.com/terms That gives them a pretty good reason to think it's OK to ask Twitter for the name. Bear in mind that Twitter has this right whether it is in the TOS or not, and that they likewise have the right to not reclaim usernames on behalf of trademark holders. If the situation had not been one where the user was obviously using the name to reference the trademark, maybe they wouldn't have. And yes, he was making the assumption that he owned the names. How else can you complain that you've been deprived of something valuable that it was your right to have if you don't believe you own it?