More than a few Reddit threads and Twitter/X have blown up recently after cease and desist documents between WordPress and WP Engine were made public online. When the largest CMS that supports 40% of the internet starts beefing with major hosting platforms and throwing its weight around, it catches attention, but not for the right reasons.
Because ultimately, when the CEO decides to make a point and stick it to one hosting platform the actions can have an effect on everyone who uses WordPress.
Since our web company has had a few clients wondering about the drama, we decided we’d give you the rundown of what’s going on in the WordPress world right now. Plus, we provide some insight on why we’re optimistic that current events won’t disrupt things too much.
What Started the Automattic/Wordpress Beef With WP Engine
It all began at the U.S. WordPress Conference in San Francisco a week ago. The CEO of Automattic and co-founder of WordPress Matt Mullenweg said some heated things to say about WordPress trademark usage, specifically calling out WP Engine.
Mullenweg claimed that WP Engine has been using its trademark and profiting off of WordPress without contributing back as it should, even though WordPress is open source as per its own Bill of Rights. That means WordPress can be used for free by others. Furthermore, there are thousands of businesses and individuals who make money using WordPress or making products for the WordPress ecosystem.
It seemed to some that WP Engine was unfairly called out. But Mullenweg did also say that there was concern that people mistook WP Engine for being WordPress itself.
For the record, Mullenweg and WP Engine have a bit of history. Not long ago, Mullenweg was an investor in WP Engine. He even promoted the company in March 2023. But then WP Engine was bought out, and it seems Mullenweg wasn’t happy with the changes that followed. There’s been speculation that this is why WP Engine got name dropped at the WP Conference.
The execs at WP Engine weren’t pleased with being singled out publicly. So what did WP Engine do? They issued WordPress with a defamation cease and desist. That prompted WordPress Foundation to issue their own cease and desist against WP Engine.
Amid the drama, Wordpress Foundation also updated its trademark policies. In doing so, it further supported Automatic’s claim that WP Engine was violating trademark rules.
The good news is Wordpress has specified that WP can be used because it doesn’t fall under their trademark. That’s great news for a lot of app creators and web companies who have used WP in their branding. HOWEVER, the updated policy also states that users shouldn’t use WP in a misleading way that would confuse their product or business with Wordpress.
But Wordpress didn’t stop there. They actually called out WP Engine specifically in the policy update. And it went so far as to state WP Engine has never donated to the Wordpress Foundation despite having profited billions off of the CMS.
Ouch. WP Engine felt the sting of that dig, and they reacted by removing the news widget from WordPress homepages of the websites they host. This fanned the flames further.
The Shakeups That Just Keep Coming
The situation only escalated. Both of the organizations lawyered up and served the other side. And now, many Wordpress users are feeling the sting of the situation.
In response to WP Engine removing the news widget, Wordpress.org has banned WP Engine suggesting they are trying to repress negative news about their company. That means people who have websites hosted by WP Engine can no longer utilize Wordpress. They are blocked. To have a fully functional website that works like normal the two need to be in sync and right now they aren’t even on the same page.
But that’s the direct impact for WP Engine users. The trickle down effect has begun, and it affects users outside of WP Engine.
Security issues are the biggest concern. For WP Engine users and apps that are a part of the trickle down, being unable to get automatic updates from Wordpress could lead to vulnerabilities that affect end users.
But it doesn’t stop there. WordPress isn’t just blocking WP Engine. They are offering an alternative.
WordPress now has an offer to cover the cost of breaking a contract with WP Engine in the aftermath of what’s happened if users switch to Pressable, a hosting company that Automattic owns.
The move has definitely made people question Automattic’s motivations for going after WP Engine and going after more trademarks. It’s made people more nervous that Automattic may pick who the trademark violations apply to depending on what their companies have to offer and the market share of the competitor.
Hopefully, things will calm down and WP Engine will be unblocked. However, it doesn’t appear that things will go in that direction in the short-term. It will likely take a little more time for the virtual dust to settle.
The new trademark verbiage was clearly directed at WP Engine, but the rules have to be followed by everyone. So, when WordPress updates guidelines to hammer it into WP Engine, we all feel it.
Upon hindsight, some insiders say we should have seen this coming. WordPress Foundation filed trademark requests in July 2024 that made it clear they were moving in this direction, and that any managed WordPress host could be affected by the new trademarks.
That is what has some web companies and website owners nervous. It leaves people wondering, will I be next?
Web companies like Bruce & Eddy that have been around for a while may be feeling a little deja vu. Automattic has had similar drama with other big players like GoDaddy and Elementor that have caused issues downstream. It’s understandable that some people are concerned this is a trend with Automattic that could intensify and disrupt their business.
The thing to remember is the Internet evolves. One thing we’ve learned over the years as a web company is the importance of building a versatile website that can move to another platform, framework or CMS solution if needed.
Interested in building a website that can handle trademark disputes? Then reach out and let us know what we can do for you!
