WP Engine, a leading web hosting provider, has initiated legal action against Automattic and WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg, alleging extortion and abuse of power. The lawsuit stems from escalating tensions regarding trademark infringement and contributions to the open-source WordPress project.
WP Engine claims that Mullenweg and Automattic have not honored their commitment to maintaining the open-source nature of WordPress, which they argue restricts developers’ rights to build and modify the software. The company expressed concern that Mullenweg’s recent actions could erode trust within the WordPress community.
Filed in California, the lawsuit accuses Mullenweg of misrepresenting his control over both the WordPress Foundation and WordPress.org.
The conflict began when Mullenweg publicly criticized WP Engine, calling it the “Cancer of WordPress” for alleged trademark violations. WP Engine responded with a cease-and-desist letter, requesting that Mullenweg retract his statements, while Automattic issued a counter cease-and-desist.
On September 25, Mullenweg briefly banned WP Engine from accessing key resources on WordPress.org, including essential plugins and themes, but lifted the ban shortly thereafter.Automattic then proposed a contentious agreement requiring WP Engine to pay 8% of its monthly gross revenue in royalties for the use of WordPress trademarks.
WP Engine was also given the option to fulfill this obligation through employee contributions to WordPress, but ultimately rejected the terms, which included limitations on forking plugins and extensions.
As this situation unfolds, WP Engine says it is focused on protecting its interests and those of the broader WordPress community through the legal action.
Philips Babatunde