In a throwback to the days of cyber-squatting, companies are now finding the need to battle fake Twitter accounts registered in their names, The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reports. Recently, Exxon Mobil Corp. found at least two unauthorized Twitter accounts operating under its name. One of the profiles has been shut down by Twitter, with the company debating what to do about the second profile, which has not posted any malicious content (yet).

While the case of fake celebrity accounts is nothing new, companies may find that such "Twitter-squatting" may carry more dire consequences than embarrassment or libel. Take the case of the fast-food chain Elevation Burger, which found a rogue Twitter account in its name that was promoting its rival Z Burger. Z Burger's owner admitted that he created the fake Twitter account (and two others), but the company maintains that this stunt was meant to be "creative and fun," not malicious.

Twitter’s new "verified accounts" feature is not meant to protect businesses, and current trademark violation laws (which give companies the right to sue cyber-squatters) are inadequate when it comes to false Twitter accounts. Twitter also has no policy in place to proactively identify trademark violators. For now, it seems that businesses would be wise to copy the moves of American Airlines, which registered every conceivable variation of its brand name on Twitter to block out imposters completely.