One of the most widely used systems for building and hosting websites, WordPress, is at the center of a highly heated argument. The main conflict is between Automattic CEO and founder of WordPress Matt Mullenweg and WP Engine, which hosts WordPress-based websites.
Roughly 40% of websites on the Internet are powered by WordPress, an open-source and free technology. Websites can use a plug-and-play solution from Automattic or WP Engine, or they can host their WordPress instance.
Mullenweg dubbed WP Engine a “cancer to WordPress” in a blog post he authored in the middle of September. He took issue with the host’s decision to disable users’ access to view and follow the revision history of each post.
Mullenweg added that WP Engine keeps this feature off by default to save money, although he feels it to be at the “heart of the user promise of protecting your data.”
Additionally, he criticized Silver Lake, an investor in WP Engine, saying that they don’t give back enough to the open source project and that WP Engine’s usage of the “WP” brand has led users to believe that the product is a part of WordPress.
The court case
WP Engine responded by sending Automattic and Mullenweg a cease-and-desist letter, asking them to retract their remarks. Additionally, it claimed that fair use applied to using the WordPress trademark.
The firm asserted that unless WP Engine agreed to pay “a significant percentage of its revenues for a license to the WordPress trademark,” Mullenweg would pursue a “scorched earth nuclear approach.”
Automattic replied by sending WP Engine a cease-and-desist letter claiming that WP Engine had violated the guidelines for using the WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks.
The firm asserted that unless WP Engine agreed to pay “a significant percentage of its revenues for a license to the WordPress trademark,” Mullenweg would pursue a “scorched earth nuclear approach.”
Automattic replied by sending WP Engine a cease-and-desist letter claiming that WP Engine had violated the guidelines for using the WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks.
Additionally, the WordPress Foundation updated its page on Trademark Policy and criticized WP Engine, claiming that the hosting provider was confusing users.
Although the WordPress trademarks do not cover the acronym “WP,” kindly refrain from using it in a way that could confuse others. For instance, many people mistakenly believe that WP Engine is ‘WordPress Engine’ and is formally connected to WordPress, however, this is untrue. The modified page states, “Despite making billions of dollars on top of WordPress, they have never once even donated to the WordPress Foundation.”
WP Engine prohibition, neighborhood effects, and trademark dispute
Mullenweg then prohibited WP Engine from using any WordPress.org resources. Although plug-ins and themes are licensed under an open-source license, companies such as WP Engine are not responsible for the services they must run to retrieve them; the license does not cover this.
Numerous websites were damaged as a result, and plug-ins and themes could not be updated. Additionally, it exposed some of them to security breaches. This strategy of abandoning small websites to their fate did not sit well with the community.
In response to the event, WP Engine alleged in a post that Mullenweg had misused his power of WordPress to interfere with WP Engine customers’ access to WordPress.org.
“WordPress plugin developers and open source users who rely on WP Engine tools like ACF are negatively impacted by Matt Mullenweg’s unprecedented and unjustified action, which disrupts the regular functioning of the entire WordPress ecosystem,” stated WP Engine.
WordPress.org temporarily relaxed the restrictions on September 27, enabling WP Engine to use resources through October 1.
Mullenweg clarified in a blog post that the battle is solely over trademarks with the WordPress Engine. He claimed that Automattic has been attempting to mediate a trademark licensing agreement for a while, but all WP Engine has done is “string us along.”
Since Automattic holds the exclusive license to use the WordPress trademark, the WordPress community and other projects worry that this might also happen to them and are asking for clarity from Automattic. The community is also inquiring about precise guidelines for the use of “WordPress” and its limitations.
The trademark’s owner, the WordPress Foundation, has also applied to trademark “Managed WordPress” and “Hosted WordPress.” If these trademarks are approved, developers and suppliers fear that they will be exploited against them.
Concerns have been raised by developers about depending too much on WordPress-related commercial open-source solutions, particularly given how rapidly access to these items may disappear.
John O’Nolan, the creator of the open-source content management system Ghost, commented on the matter and attacked WordPress’s one-person administration.
The hosting company changed the footer of its website on September 30, one day before WordPress.org set a deadline for the ban on WP Engine, to make it clear that it is neither directly associated with the WordPress Foundation nor the owner of the WordPress brand.
“WP Engine is happy to be a part of and contribute to the WordPress® user community. The WordPress Foundation owns the intellectual property under the WordPress® trademark, while WooCommerce, Inc. owns the intellectual property under the Woo® and WooCommerce® trademarks. The WordPress Foundation and WooCommerce, Inc. do not imply any endorsement by the uses of the WordPress®, Woo®, and WooCommerce® names on this website; rather, they are used simply for identifying purposes.
The site’s modified description stated, “WP Engine is not endorsed or owned by, or affiliated with, the WordPress Foundation or WooCommerce, Inc.”
Additionally, the firm renamed its plans to “Essential,” “Core,” and “Enterprise” instead of “Essential WordPress,” “Core,” and “Enterprise.”
In a statement, WP Engine indicated that these terms have been modified to refute Automattic’s assertions.
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