WP Engine sues WordPress co-creator Mullenweg and Automattic, alleging abuse of power

WP Engine sues Matt Mullenweg and Automattic over power abuse and trademark issues.

: WP Engine has filed a lawsuit against Automattic and Matt Mullenweg, citing abuse of power and extortion. Tensions arose over trademark infringement and contributions to the WordPress project. A proposed royalty fee of 8% of gross revenues was rejected by WP Engine. Access to WordPress.org was temporarily restricted.

WP Engine has initiated legal action against Automattic and WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg, asserting abuse of power and extortion. The conflict escalated following disputes about trademark infringement and demands related to the WordPress open-source project.

The lawsuit highlights Mullenweg's alleged history of manipulating facts concerning WordPress' governance, impacting the trust of the wider WordPress community. Criticism from Mullenweg labeled WP Engine as a 'Cancer of WordPress,' leading to mutual cease-and-desist letters.

A temporary ban was imposed on WP Engine's access to WordPress.org resources, with a short-lived reprieve provided. Automattic proposed a royalty fee of 8% of gross revenues, which WP Engine declined, refusing conditions to prevent forking of plugins and extensions.

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