Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress and CEO of Automattic introduced on Reddit that WP Engine initiated authorized motion in opposition to WordPress, Automattic, and Mullenweg himself. Mullenweg wrote that WordPress is countersuing.
WP Engine is a number one managed WordPress host supplier that Mullenweg alleges is violating the WordPress trademark.
Mullenweg’s feedback got here in a Reddit thread titled “Matt Mullenweg must step down from WordPress.org management ASAP” wherein he defined his facet of the problem with WP Engine.
He wrote that he had mentioned the state of affairs with WP Engine staff on the WordCamp WordPress convention final Friday, the place he talked about the potential of offering attendance badges for WP Engine staff if WP Engine had been banned. He added that he had been making an attempt to resolve his subject with the corporate up till his closing Q&A, which turned changed into a speech about his allegations in opposition to WP Engine.
His description:
“That *if* we needed to take down the WP Engine sales space and ban WP Engine that night, my colleague Chloé might print all of them new private badges in the event that they nonetheless needed to attend the convention personally, as they’re group members, not simply their firm.”
Mullenweg insisted that he tried to resolve the battle:
“Your entire day I used to be in discussions with Heather Brunner and Lee Wittlinger making an attempt to de-escalate and resolve their trademark violations and dangerous habits within the WordPress group. I returned to the sales space round 4:30 PM to say that I had lastly gotten a message again from Lee and Heather and was optimistic we might attain an answer so the sales space wouldn’t be taken down that night.
I needed to resolve the whole lot earlier than my presentation on Friday afternoon, the place I used to be both going to do regular Q&A as deliberate or current the case for what WP Engine has accomplished improper. Heather and Lee responded to my textual content messages, however refused to get on a name or attain any form of verbal understanding with me, and so I delivered the presentation. I used to be calling each backstage actually minutes earlier than I received on, making an attempt to keep away from this complete state of affairs.
WP Engine has now filed formal authorized motion in opposition to WordPress.org, myself, Automattic, and we’re doing the identical in opposition to them, so I could not be capable to touch upon this an excessive amount of sooner or later.”
Reactions To Mullenweg’s Submit
As if this second there was no public announcement by WP Engine. Some Redditors in that dialogue had been incredulous that Mullenweg put a deadline of that afternoon to finalize an answer with WP Engine.
One Redditor posted:
“What might probably be resolved in just a few hours at a convention? Had been they to alter their title and reduce a fats verify that day?”
Mullenweg responded:
“They’ve been stringing issues alongside for years, it seems their essential technique is simply to delay decision whereas they proceed their dangerous habits, printing money.”
This can be a growing story, extra can be added because it turns into recognized.
Learn Mullenweg’s put up:
To be very clear, I used to be 100% cordial and well mannered to everybody on the sales space
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