The world of WordPress, a widely used open-source platform that powers around 40% of the web, has found itself in the midst of a dramatic and heated conflict.
At the center of it all is WP Engine, one of the largest managed WordPress hosting providers, and Matt Mullenweg, the founder of WordPress and CEO of Automattic.
A simple trademark dispute? Far from it. This fight has escalated into a full-blown legal battle, with accusations of corporate greed, blocked WordPress features, and widespread disruption to websites around the globe. If you’re hosting your site with WP Engine, you are going to face some serious issues because this situation just got personal.
The Core Of Controversy
Mullenweg’s fury is about WP Engine’s decision to disable a core WordPress feature, the post revision history.
If you’re familiar with WordPress, you know this feature allows users to see the full history of changes made to posts which is a crucial tool for data integrity and transparency. But WP Engine turned this off by default, reportedly to save money.
Mullenweg did not mince words when he called WP Engine’s move a “bastardization” of WordPress.
Here’s the statement he published on Sep 25, 2024 in community: WP Engine is banned from WordPress.org
He argued that by disabling this feature, WP Engine violated the fundamental promise WordPress makes to its users that their data is protected, and they have full control. In Mullenweg’s view, this wasn’t just about convenience or cost-saving; it was an attack on the very principles that make WordPress what it is.
Mullenweg Banned WP Engine
In response to WP Engine’s actions, Mullenweg banned WP Engine from accessing WordPress.org’s resources. That meant no more easy access to plugins, themes, or updates for any website hosted by WP Engine – a move that sent shockwaves through the community.
For thousands of WP Engine customers, this was a disaster. Suddenly, they couldn’t update their plugins or themes, leaving their websites vulnerable to security risks. Small businesses, agencies, and developers were left scrambling, facing a battle to keep their websites secure and functional.
WP Engine Fights Back
Of course, WP Engine wasn’t going to take this lying down. The hosting company fired back with a “cease-and-desist” letter, accusing Mullenweg of using his influence over WordPress to interfere with WP Engine’s business.
Here’s the notice by WP Engine:
They claimed that his decision to block their access to WordPress.org wasn’t about trademarks, it was retaliation for WP Engine’s refusal to “pay a significant percentage of its revenues” for a WordPress trademark license.
In their statement, WP Engine pointed out that Mullenweg’s actions weren’t just hurting them, they were damaging the entire WordPress ecosystem.
By cutting off access to WordPress.org’s resources, Mullenweg was putting the open-source community at risk, they argued.
Plugin developers, open-source contributors, and millions of users were all caught in the crossfire.
Automattic’s Response To WP Engine
On Sep 26, 2024 Automattic sent their own “cease-and-desist” to WP Engine in response, stating that WP Engine is violating the trademark, have a look:
https://automattic.com/2024/wp-engine-cease-and-desist.pdf
Menawhile, WordPress files for trademark for “Managed WordPress” and “Hosted WordPress”. This means, there will be many companies won’t be able to use even the terms “Managed WordPress” and “Hosted WordPress” if this happens.
Community Fallout
The fallout from this battle has left the WordPress community divided.
On one hand, many developers and users support Mullenweg’s stance, arguing that WP Engine’s disabling of core features undermines the open-source spirit of WordPress.
While on the other hand, some have expressed concerns over Mullenweg’s control of the WordPress ecosystem.
Even Ghost’s founder, John O’Nolan, weighed in, criticizing the fact that one person, Mullenweg, has so much control over the platform that powers nearly half of the web.
He said:
As the community watches this legal drama, many are left wondering if WP Engine can be shut out of WordPress.org’s resources overnight, what’s stopping Automattic from doing the same to other hosting providers or developers?
Which is a valid thought!
Update: Check out Automattic’s latest statements on WordPress VS WP Engine’s matter!
What’s Next?
As of now, the situation is at a tense standoff. WP Engine’s access to WordPress.org was temporarily restored, but the clock is ticking.
WP Engine has been given a deadline of October 1st to come up with the solution for all of this. It’s possible that the ban could be reinstated, and the fate of thousands of websites could hang in the balance once again.
Meanwhile, the legal battle over trademarks continues…
If you’re a WP Engine customer, the advice from Mullenweg is clear: Contact WP Engine’s support and ask them to fix it.
But long-term? You might want to start exploring other hosting options, because the future of WP Engine’s relationship with WordPress looks anything but certain.
Stay tuned for further updates!
By Digillex
