A hot potato, the ongoing drama over WordPress and copyright is heating up. Automattic wants WP Engine to pay for using WordPress open-source technology. However, the hosting service demands that the for-profit company retract its accusations. Meanwhile, WordPress users and customers are stuck in the middle, suffering the consequences.
Automattic CEO and the creator of popular CMS WordPress Matt Mullenweg called WP Engine a “cancer” to the WordPress community. The company offers managed hosting services for WP websites. However, Mullenweg says it is profiting off one of the most successful content management systems (CMS) on the market while offering very little in return.
WP Engine sent Automattic a cease-and-desist letter asking Mullenweg to stop depicting the company as a cancer and defended its right to use the “WordPress” trademark under the fair use doctrine.
Automattic is playing tit-for-tat by sending WP Engine a cease-and-desist of its own. The San Francisco-based company formally asked its competitor to stop infringing on its registered trademarks, which include WordPress and WooCommerce brands.
The letter states that Automattic retains exclusive commercial rights from the WordPress Foundation, and WP Engine needs to secure a proper license to use them.
WP Engine will no longer have access to content available on WordPress.org. The platform hosts WordPress open-source plugins, themes, and other WP-related technologies and is a crucial resource for users looking for updates, guides, and information.
WP Engine customers no longer have access to the core platform of the open-source CMS. WP Engine servers have been barred from WordPress.org servers, and if the company wants to control the WordPress experience, it must arrange an independent infrastructure and login system, plugin directory, bug tracker, conferences, and everything else.