A California District Court judge orders Automattic to stop blocking WP Engine's access to WordPress.org resources and interfering with WP Engine's plugins
WP Engine subsequently asked the court to restore access to the WordPress.org repository through a preliminary-injunction request. The order makes that access dispute, rather than the parties' broader accusations, the immediate operational issue.
First-order effects
Automattic must stop blocking WP Engine's access to WordPress.org resources and stop interfering with its plugins while the case proceeds.
WP Engine regains court-protected continuity for the WordPress.org resources and plugin functionality named in the order, reducing an immediate disruption risk for its business and users.
Second-order effects
The ruling limits Automattic's ability to use control over WordPress.org access as leverage in its trademark dispute with WP Engine; the conflict shifts more squarely back to litigation.
Other businesses built around shared WordPress infrastructure gain a concrete signal that access restrictions can be scrutinized separately from the underlying commercial or trademark fight.
Third-order effects
If courts continue to distinguish open-project infrastructure from a company's commercial disputes, governance of widely used shared resources may face stronger constraints against selective denial of access.
The case highlights a durable tension in platform ecosystems: the entity with operational control over a common resource may not have unlimited latitude to turn that control into competitive pressure.
The trend: This is one data point in the growing contest over whether control of shared digital infrastructure can be used to shape competition among companies that depend on it.
Looks like Automattic have been giving the telling off they so richly deserved. When the dust has settled, I'd be very interested to read about the [total failure of] governance that allowed any this to happen at all storage.courtlistener.com/recap/ gov.us...
Checked the order against the proposed order WPEngine submitted. They got nearly everything they wanted. Only thing that they didn't get was an express order for Matt to stop interfering - and given the likelihood analysis, he should get that message. — storage.courtlistener.…
This is good for the open source community vis-a-vis that “WordPress” was thought to be a community resource. But that's not the basis of this ruling & it strikes me as kind of weird in a way that might have a very big chilling effect on anyone thinking of spinning up a distro s…
And the court agreed with WPEngine that within 72 hours Automattic must restore WPEngine's access, remove the checkbox and remove the list of WPEngine customers https://storage.courtlistener.com/ recap/gov.uscourts.cand.437474/ gov.uscourts.cand.437474.64.0.pdf #MattMullenweg #WP…
🤔 I don't normally read these, but there's a lot in here to unpack, including about 100 ways to put your foot in your mouth, including public comments from the orange website. — This whole case is so dumb it will be studied for decades as a “what not to do publicly” to lose you…
Judge issues Preliminary injunction in WordPress case for @wpengine against @automattic / @photomatt and it is pretty damning. WPE basically got everything they want. Impressed with this judge. https://storage.courtlistener.com/ ...
Important case to follow. I stand fully with Automattic. Requiring open source projects to act in ANY specific way is unconstitutional and violates free speech.
Look at that. The judge references my tweet multiple times in the @automattic / @photomatt vs @wpengine case It's the one where Matt positively writes about WP Engine being the largest managed WP host Who could've guessed that one tweet from Matt would sink his trademark claims […
The sad story of how Automattic became the villain they painted WP Engine to be. A judge delivers swift justice for WP Engine - and more embarrassment for Automattic. What was the point of Automattic damaging WordPress and themselves - all for nothing? [image]
Today's ruling is a preliminary order designed to maintain the status quo. It was made without the benefit of discovery, our motion to dismiss, or the counterclaims we will be filing against WP Engine shortly. We look forward to prevailing at trial as we continue to protect the
WordPress must stop blocking WP Engine, a judge has ruled. Automattic and its CEO Matt Mullenweg also have to quit interfering with WP Engine's ACF plugin https://www.theverge.com/...