The long-running conflict between Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, and WP Engine, one of the biggest WordPress hosting providers, has reached a new level.
HERE IS THE AUTOMATTIC LAW SUIT - https://automattic.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/automattic-counterclaims.pdf
On Friday, October 24, Automattic filed counterclaims against WP Engine, accusing the company of misusing the WordPress trademark, misleading customers, and acting in bad faith during previous talks about licensing the brand.
Background of the Dispute
This fight started back in September 2024, when Matt Mullenweg, WordPress co-creator and CEO of Automattic, publicly called WP Engine a “cancer to WordPress.” He argued that WP Engine made billions using WordPress without giving enough back to the open-source community.
In response, WP Engine sued Automattic and Mullenweg in October 2024, claiming defamation, abuse of power, and interference with business. The company said that Mullenweg used his control over WordPress.org to punish WP Engine and block its access to key resources, affecting thousands of websites.
Automattic’s Counterclaims
In its new filing, Automattic says WP Engine went too far by calling itself “The WordPress Technology Company” and even letting partners refer to it as “WordPress Engine.” Automattic also points out product names like “Core WordPress” and “Headless WordPress”, which it says were misleading and violated trademark rules.
Automattic argues that private equity firm Silver Lake, which invested $250 million in WP Engine, pushed these marketing tactics to raise the company’s valuation — allegedly up to $2 billion — without paying proper licensing fees.
The counterclaims also accuse WP Engine of negotiating in bad faith, pretending to discuss licensing while only trying to delay things. Automattic further claims that WP Engine cut product quality and features to save money during this time.
WP Engine Responds
WP Engine quickly fired back, saying its use of the WordPress name follows industry standards and fair-use laws.
“Our use of the WordPress trademark to refer to the open-source software is consistent with longstanding industry practice and fair use under settled trademark law,” the company said in a statement. “We will defend against these baseless claims.”
How It Affects the WordPress Community
This legal war has shaken the WordPress community, which powers about 40% of all websites. Many developers and contributors say they feel caught in the middle.
When Mullenweg banned WP Engine from WordPress.org in late 2024, it broke plugin and theme updates for many websites, leaving users exposed to potential security risks. The ban was later lifted by court order, but the trust damage lingered.
Some community members have criticized Mullenweg for holding too much power over the WordPress ecosystem. Others, including big names like Ghost founder John O’Nolan and Ruby on Rails creator David Heinemeier Hansson, said Automattic’s behavior could hurt the entire open-source world.
Inside the Companies
The ongoing feud has even caused problems inside Automattic. Earlier this month, 159 employees left the company, many disagreeing with how Mullenweg is handling the situation. Automattic later offered special shares and new leadership positions to stabilize the team.
Meanwhile, WP Engine continues to assure customers that it is not officially tied to the WordPress Foundation and has changed its branding to avoid confusion. It also built its own system for plugin and theme updates after being locked out of WordPress.org.
What’s Next
The first major court hearing on the case is set for November 26, 2025. Until then, both sides are expected to keep trading legal blows — and the WordPress community will keep watching closely.
This case could reshape how companies use the WordPress trademark and how much control one person — even the platform’s founder — should have over such a huge part of the internet.
some war screen shot of this fight -
