The world of WordPress, a widely-used technology for building websites, is currently embroiled in a heated dispute between WordPress founder and Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg and WP Engine, a hosting service for WordPress websites.
WordPress is an open-source and free technology that powers a significant portion of the internet, with around 40% of websites using it. Website owners can either host their own WordPress instance or opt for a solution provider like Automattic or WP Engine for a more convenient setup.
The controversy began in mid-September when Mullenweg criticized WP Engine in a blog post, accusing them of disabling a crucial feature that allows users to track revision history for each post. He argued that this feature is essential for protecting user data, and accused WP Engine of turning it off to cut costs.
In response, WP Engine sent a cease-and-desist letter to Mullenweg and Automattic, claiming that their use of the WordPress trademark was within fair use. They also alleged that Mullenweg demanded a significant portion of their revenue for a trademark license.
This dispute led to WP Engine being banned from accessing resources on WordPress.org, affecting websites hosted on their platform. The move left many websites vulnerable to security threats and unable to update plugins and themes, sparking outrage within the WordPress community.
Despite the ban being lifted temporarily, the conflict between Mullenweg and WP Engine remains centered around trademark issues. Developers and providers are concerned about the potential implications of trademark grants like “Managed WordPress” and “Hosted WordPress,” fearing they could be used against them.
The situation escalated further when WP Engine filed a lawsuit against Automattic and Mullenweg, alleging abuse of power and governance issues. Automattic dismissed the claims as meritless and expressed confidence in the federal court’s review of the lawsuit.
In response to the ongoing dispute, 159 Automattic employees who disagreed with Mullenweg’s leadership decisions chose to leave the company, with a significant number of departures coming from the Ecosystem/WordPress division.
The conflict between WordPress and WP Engine underscores the complexities of managing open-source projects and the challenges of navigating trademark issues in the digital landscape. As the dispute continues to unfold, the future of WordPress and its community remains uncertain, with stakeholders closely watching for further developments.
For more information on this ongoing story, you can reach out to the reporter at im@ivanmehta.com or via Signal at @ivan.42.
