UberSocial: The New Name Of UberTwitter After Twitter Complaint

After today's surprising news that Twitter suspended one of the most popular BlackBerry Twitter apps "UberTwitter," UberMedia's CEO says his app will be getting a new name: UberSocial.

Among the complaints from Twitter, according to a statement obtained by TechCrunch, was privacy concerns and trademark infringement. Twitter has said in the past it frowns upon applications using its name, forcing the change. Twitter also suspended UberMedia-owned Twidroyd.

Looks like UberMedia has already secured the Twitter name for its new name: @ubersocial.

Here is the full statement from UberMedia CEO Bill Gross, which addresses the name change:

PASADENA, CA - February 18, 2011 - Early Friday morning, Twitter shut off access to its service by several of our Twitter client applications: UberTwitter, Twidroyd, and UberCurrent. Twitter then notified us that they believed we were in violation of several provisions of their terms of service.

We were immediately in touch with Twitter, and the changes they asked us to make were very small. As a result, we have completed the changes, and new apps are currently being posted to their respective stores. Twitter has assured us that as soon as those changes were complete, they would reactivate our applications.

Twitter also asked us to modify the name of UberTwitter. We began a process of changing the name three weeks ago by polling our users, and we've decided based on their input to change the product name to UberSocial, which we completed today.

To our millions of loyal users, we appreciate your patience during this temporary period. We look forward to continuing our innovations on the Twitter platform.

Bill Gross, CEO
UberMedia, Inc.

UberMedia also just tweeted, "#UberTwitter & #Twidroyd users: We have made the changes Twitter requested. As soon as Twitter reactivates, you will be live again. Thx!"

Comments

[propermoose]

12:18 PM on 02/19/2011

"Twitter has assured us that as soon as those changes were complete, they would reactivate our applications." UberMedia claims that they have done so, and yet, Twitter hasn't yet reactivated the APIs. Twitter is looking more and more like the tyrant trying to crush the competition.

[Tunghoy]

08:24 AM on 02/19/2011

UberTwitter? Or is that Twitter Uber Alles?

[CHRISVOSS]

09:43 PM on 02/18/2011

You missed the keys to the story. http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2011/02/18/twitter-i-love-you-but/ "Twitter launch a promoted Tweet saying #TwitterMobile trying to convert users to your client that exact same day." UberTwitter as of last weeks purchase controlled up to 30% of Twitters viewers. Power play. Ugly.

[cnieblapub]

09:30 PM on 02/18/2011

Twitter raised the issue before:
http://twitter.com/#!/ev/status/34741288574132224
Origin of "rival": 1577, from Latin "rivalis" -- "one who uses the same stream."

BTW @EV is Evan Williams, Co-founder of Twitter.

[mitchsurp]

09:19 PM on 02/18/2011

I don't think the @ubersocial account is Uber. I think they're at @UberSoc

[shirleyfeeney]

08:29 PM on 02/18/2011

Ubertwitter has been my app of choice since it began. I can't stand twitter for blackberry.

[MadMoll]

06:07 PM on 02/18/2011

Twitter wants to be the ONLY mobile twitter app. and it blows

[DarkandLuvly]

05:28 PM on 02/18/2011

booooooooooooooooooooo