The latest on the WordPress fight over trademarks and open source
In late September, Automattic CEO and WordPress cofounder Matt Mullenweg started a public dispute with the hosting provider WP Engine, calling the company a cancer to WordPress." He accused WP Engine of not contributing enough to the WordPress ecosystem and profiting off of trademark confusion. As a result, WP Engine was blocked from accessing WordPress.org's servers.
Automattic has since sent a cease and desist order to WP Engine to stop it from using its trademarks, while WP Engine has followed up with a lawsuit that accuses Automattic and Mullenweg of extortion.
The series of events set off a public battle that calls into question the boundaries between WordPress.com host Automattic, the WordPress open-source project, and the nonprofit that's behind it.
Here's all the latest news so far.
- A new lawsuit alleges Automattic must keep WordPress free.
- Matt Mullenweg lashes out at some WordPress contributors.
- Automattic cuts WordPress contribution hours, blames WP Engine
- Matt Mullenweg says it's hard to imagine" wanting to work on WordPress after WP Engine ruling.
- WordPress parent company must stop blocking WP Engine, judge rules
- WordPress.com's owner launched a tracker for sites leaving WP Engine.
- WordPress cofounder asks court to dismiss WP Engine's lawsuit
- WordPress reportedly asks WordCamp organizers to delete posts that don't align" with its views.
- WordPress.org is not WordPress."
- WP Engine asks court to stop Matt Mullenweg from blocking access to WordPress resources
- Automattic offered employees another chance to quit over WordPress drama
- Matt Mullenweg responds to David Heinemeier Hansson in their respectful debate."
- WordPress.org's latest move involves taking control of a WP Engine plugin
- Automattic is completely out of line, and the potential damage to the open source world extends far beyond WordPress,"
- The latest volley in the WordPress beef:
- Matt Mullenweg: WordPress.org just belongs to me'
- WordPress cofounder is paying employees to leave if they disagree with him
- The WordPress' fight is now a lawsuit
- Automattic demanded a cut of WP Engine's revenue before starting WordPress battle
- The messy WordPress drama, explained
- WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg calls WP Engine a cancer."