WordPress, the open-source content material administration system that powers greater than 40 p.c of all web sites on the web, is at present engaged in a fiery trademark battle with WP Engine, one among its third-party internet hosting companies however, regardless of its title, not affiliated with WordPress. The spat has already price WordPress staff and funds and will rage on for one more two to a few years. However Matt Mullenweg, the platform’s founder and CEO, doesn’t appear too involved in regards to the fallout.
“I clearly suppose it’s value it,” Mullenweg stated throughout an onstage interview on the TechCrunch Disrupt convention on Oct. 30. “We’re at battle with them. We’re both going to go brick-by-brick and take each single one among their clients, or hopefully they might finish this all tomorrow.”
What’s occurring between WordPress and WP Engine?
Mullenweg, who based WordPress in 2003 on the age of 19, is CEO of Automattic, the mother or father firm of WordPress.com and its industrial companies, and is a board member of the muse holding the WordPress trademark. He first made his issues surrounding WP Engine, one of many customers of WordPress’s code, recognized in September when he launched a weblog publish claiming the corporate was benefiting from WordPress’s programming however failing to contributing to its upkeep. “In case you’re going to revenue off the WordPress trademark, you could be a part of the WordPress ecosystem,” stated Mullenweg at TechCrunch Disrupt.
Moreover arguing that it was abusing WordPress’s trademark and demanding it pay licensing charges, Mullenweg has stated the WP Engine, which is owned by the personal fairness agency Silver Lake, has minimize corners for customers by disabling options like its revision visibility. The spat snowballed dramatically within the following weeks, with WP Engine sending Mullenweg and Computerized a cease-and-desist letter and Mullenweg reducing WP Engine off from WordPress sources. Final month, WP Engine sued the chief and his firm for abuse of energy and extortion.
The Automattic CEO’s motion’s haven’t been well-received amongst the broader open-source growth group, who’re involved about what Mullenweg’s tirade and his so-called “scorched-earth nuclear” marketing campaign means for different WordPress shoppers and the well being of the software program growth business.
Lots of Automattic’s personal staff don’t agree with its chief’s actions, as evidenced by the greater than 150 staff who took a severance package deal from the corporate in October. A subsequent buyout supply noticed much more staff depart Automattic, in response to Mullenweg, who says his firm’s headcount at present totals at round 1,700.
The continuing drama may probably result in forks in WordPress, a time period referring to when builders duplicate supply code and independently develop with it. “There may be a fork,” stated Mullenweg, who stated comparable situations have beforehand occurred in WordPress’s historical past. “I feel that’d be implausible, really, so folks can have different governance or an alternate strategy.”
One factor is for positive: WordPress is about to embark on a prolonged authorized battle with WP Engine, having described WP Engine’s lawsuit as one conjured “out of skinny air.” Mullenweg is ready for the case to pull on for a number of years. “Worst case situation, if we misplaced every part it might be sort of occurring in 2026 or 2027,” he stated.
Mullenweg conceded that the previous couple weeks have been powerful. “It’s been difficult, to be sincere,” he stated. Regardless, he stands by his resolution to tackle WP Engine. “We’ve tried the great approach for a very long time. You must combat generally.”
