I never thought I’d need to write a blog covering WordPress industry drama, but given the chatter about WordPress and since I look after many WordPress sites, I felt it was important to address the situation. Let me start by saying that I’m not a trademark lawyer or legal expert—what I share here comes from my 20 years of experience in developing, debugging and enhancing WordPress, it’s plugins and themes, I have no insider knowledge, and my opinions may evolve as more details come to light.
That said, I love WordPress, and I know many of you do too. The recent drama has understandably raised questions, especially for business owners, agencies, and developers who rely on WordPress every day. In this post, I’ll break down what’s happening, who it affects, and what you can do to ensure your WordPress website stays safe and secure.
The Core of the WordPress Drama (Quick Overview)
At the heart of the drama lies a trademark dispute between two prominent companies in the WordPress ecosystem: WP Engine and Automattic. Automattic, founded by WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg, holds the exclusive rights to the “WordPress” trademark. WP Engine, a managed WordPress hosting company, is accused of insufficiently contributing to the WordPress open-source project, despite its massive revenue.
Due to the failure of both parties to resolve the issue, this dispute has escalated into a federal lawsuit, sparking concerns and confusion within the WordPress community. However, it’s essential to note that most WordPress users and websites are unaffected by this legal battle.
Breaking Down the Legal Dispute: Automattic vs. WP Engine
This legal clash between WP Engine and Automattic over trademark usage has been brewing for a while. Here’s what you need to know:
Automattic: Founded by Matt Mullenweg, this company is behind key WordPress products such as WooCommerce, WordPress.com, and Jetpack. They also hold the exclusive rights to the WordPress trademark.
WP Engine: A popular managed WordPress hosting provider owned by private equity firm Silver Lake.
The drama began when Automattic asked WP Engine to enter into a licensing agreement for using the WordPress trademark. WP Engine could either make financial contributions or increase its support for the open-source project, but negotiations fell through. Matt Mullenweg brought the dispute into the spotlight at WordCamp US, accusing WP Engine of not giving back enough to the WordPress community. Matt then publicized the dispute at the annual WordCamp US conference, where he claimed that WP Engine, despite being a $400M+ revenue company, does not give back enough to the free open source WordPress project.
As a result, both companies exchanged Cease and Desist letters. Automattic went further by blocking WP Engine customers from accessing WordPress.org updates, a decision that was later reversed temporarily for the benefit of users. WP Engine responded by building their own update server, but the legal battle continued, culminating in WP Engine filing a lawsuit against Automattic.
- WP Engine Cease & Desist Letter
- Automattic Cease & Desist Letter
- WP Engine formal lawsuit against Automattic and Matt Mullenweg
What Happened to WP Engine Plugins?
One of the most significant fallouts from this dispute involves WP Engine’s plugin portfolio, especially the popular Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin, used by over 2 million websites and we use it extensively. When WP Engine was banned from using WordPress.org servers, the WordPress.org team forked the ACF plugin into a new version called Secure Custom Fields (SCF) , ensuring that users would still receive updates. Forking happens when developers take a copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct and separate piece of software.
The forking action led to outrage from developers and influencers, many of whom criticized the way WordPress.org handled the situation. At present, WP Engine’s other plugins remain available on WordPress.org, but the company cannot issue updates through the platform.
Does This Mean the End of WordPress?
The answer is no. An absolute no. Despite the noise and negative press, WordPress remains the dominant CMS, powering over 43% of websites on the internet. This drama, while significant, only affects a small portion of users and doesn’t diminish the reliability of WordPress as a platform.
As a small business owner recently said to me, “I’m not switching from WordPress because of some trademark dispute. My website is working, and my business is growing.” His sentiment reflects the thoughts of many business owners who are simply not impacted by this legal drama.
In reality, WordPress continues to thrive, and popular plugins such as Elementor, WPForms, WooCommerce, and many others remain fully functional and unaffected by the trademark dispute.
Is Your Website Affected by the WP Engine vs. Automattic Lawsuit?
For most website owners, this legal dispute will not affect your WordPress experience. If you’re not using WP Engine plugins, there’s nothing to worry about. Your site will continue to receive updates and function as usual.
If you use plugins developed by WP Engine but are not hosted on WP Engine’s platform, you may face challenges in receiving updates. However, you can install WP Engine’s custom updater plugin to continue receiving updates or switch to alternative plugins if needed.
Steps to Protect Your WordPress Website
1. Regular Backups: Always keep your website backed up. Tools like UpdraftPlus or using your hosting provider’s backup solutions can ensure your data remains safe.
2. Use a Firewall: Implement a firewall, such as Cloudflare, to protect your site from malicious attacks. Security is essential, regardless of any industry drama.
3. Keep Plugins and Themes Updated: If you’re using WP Engine plugins, consider installing the WP Engine updater plugin or explore alternative plugins to ensure your site stays secure.
If you have a WordPress Maintenance service with Net Solutions then we take care of all the above for you and we are here if your site runs into any trouble.
What should you do if you have a WordPress site
It is understandable that if you have a WordPress site you may be concerned. It’s essential to understand that WordPress still remains the best open-source CMS on the market. The ongoing trademark dispute doesn’t change the fact that WordPress powers nearly half of all websites globally, with a massive ecosystem of 60,000+ free plugins and themes.
WordPress continues to evolve, and the core development team is moving forward with future releases, including the upcoming WordPress 6.7.
Final Thoughts
While the WordPress trademark dispute between Automattic and WP Engine is a complex and ongoing legal matter, it has minimal impact on most website owners. WordPress remains a robust, secure, and ever-evolving platform that continues to serve millions of users around the world. Stay updated, keep your site secure, and rest easy knowing that WordPress isn’t going anywhere.
Again, I want to clarify that I’m not a trademark lawyer or legal expert. This post is aimed at those who are seeking clarity on recent developments. With over 20 years in the WordPress community, I’m passionate about the platform. The insights shared here are based on my experience and not on insider information.
