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In a surprising turn of events that has shaken the WordPress community, web hosting provider WP Engine has filed a lawsuit against Automattic and WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg. The legal action, initiated on October 2, 2024, alleges extortion and abuse of power, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between these major players in the WordPress ecosystem.

The Heart of the Conflict

At the core of this dispute lies a complex web of accusations and counter-accusations:

• Trademark Infringement: Mullenweg initially criticized WP Engine for allegedly infringing on WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks.

Some of the frantic changes @wpengine has been making to their site to hide their trademark abuse include editing customer quotes, without permission!

I have confirmed with @pcrumm he did not approve this change. Journalists should ask WPE and others about this. pic.twitter.com/NQOZ0TPDDT

— Matt Mullenweg (@photomatt) October 3, 2024

• Harsh Criticism: In a controversial statement, Mullenweg referred to WP Engine as the “Cancer of WordPress,” also implicating their private equity partner, Silver Lake, for purportedly disregarding the open-source community.
• Cease-and-Desist Exchanges: The situation intensified with both parties exchanging cease-and-desist letters. WP Engine demanded Mullenweg and Automattic retract their comments, while Automattic accused WP Engine of trademark infringement.
• Access Restrictions: In a dramatic move, Mullenweg temporarily banned WP Engine from accessing WordPress.org resources on September 25, affecting plugin and theme updates for WP Engine customers. This ban was lifted on September 27, with a deadline set for October 1.

We have lifted the blocks of the WP Engine servers from accessing ours, until October 1, UTC 00:00.

Read more here: https://t.co/NCk64TIvGn

— WordPress (@WordPress) September 27, 2024

The Proposed Agreement

Amidst this turmoil, Automattic presented a contentious seven-year term sheet to WP Engine on September 20. The proposal included two main options:

1. Pay a monthly royalty fee of 8% of gross revenues for using WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks.
2. Commit 8% by contributing employee time to WordPress core development, or a combination of financial and labor contributions.

Notably, the terms also included a probation on forking plugins and extensions from Automattic and WooCommerce, which WP Engine did not accept.

WP Engine’s Legal Action

In their lawsuit, WP Engine levels several serious accusations against Automattic and Mullenweg:

• Breach of Promise: WP Engine claims that Automattic and Mullenweg failed to honor their commitment to maintain WordPress as an open-source project without restrictions.
• Governance Issues: The lawsuit highlights potential conflicts of interest and governance problems within the WordPress ecosystem.
• Control Obfuscation: WP Engine accuses Mullenweg of obscuring facts about his control over the WordPress Foundation and WordPress.org.

Implications for the WordPress Community

This legal battle raises critical questions about the future of WordPress:

1. Open-Source Integrity: How will this conflict impact the open-source nature of WordPress?
2. Power Dynamics: What does this reveal about the balance of power within the WordPress ecosystem?
3. User Impact: How might WordPress users and developers be affected by this dispute?

Looking Ahead

As this legal drama unfolds, the WordPress community watches with bated breath. The outcome of this lawsuit could have far-reaching consequences for the open-source model that has made WordPress the powerhouse it is today.

For more updates on this developing story, stay tuned to our blog. If you have any insights or opinions on this matter, we encourage you to share them in the comments below.