The WordPress ecosystem has lost its mind…

WordPress’s trademark fight with WP Engine has escalated from legal threats into a direct user-impacting dispute—complete with a newly added “I am not affiliated with WP Engine” checkbox that forces customers to affirm they have no financial or other ties. The core issue is control: Automatic (the company tied to WordPress’s nonprofit foundation) is pressing WP Engine for trademark royalties and accusing it of profiting from WordPress without contributing back, while WP Engine denies wrongdoing and argues the conflict is about power and branding rather than community stewardship.

The timeline begins in late September 2024. On September 20, Automatic sent WP Engine a trademark license agreement demanding an 8% royalty on WP Engine’s gross revenue paid monthly—described as running into millions per month. Automatic’s grievances include claims that WP Engine profits from WordPress while contributing less to the nonprofit side, uses WordPress trademarks in ways that make its offerings look like official WordPress products (including payment plans), and “strips” the ecosystem by steering users toward a less complete experience rather than forking and improving open-source plugins such as WooCommerce.

The dispute quickly spilled into public rhetoric. The next day, Matt Mullenweg—CEO of Automatic and tied to the WordPress Foundation—called WP Engine “a cancer to WordPress,” framing the conflict as private equity hollowing out open-source communities. WP Engine responded with its own counterclaims, and Automatic followed with accusations aimed at unauthorized trademark use.

The conflict then moved from statements to platform mechanics. On September 25, WP Engine was banned from wordpress.org. That matters because wordpress.org is where WordPress users get updates and plugins; losing access can disrupt installs and development workflows. Around the same period, Mullenweg also argued publicly that WP Engine is free to offer its own modified version of WordPress under the GPL, but users should expect it “as WP Engine envisions it.” WP Engine’s counter-position emphasized that it is serving customers while disputing the legitimacy of Automatic’s demands.

Adding to the controversy, wordpress.org introduced a checkbox during login: users must confirm they are not affiliated with WP Engine financially or otherwise. The transcript notes the checkbox is tied to a CSS class referencing the lawsuit, effectively forcing WP Engine’s customers to clarify their status before they can log in.

Behind the scenes, the business relationship adds fuel. Automatic previously owned part of WP Engine until selling to Silver Lake in 2018, and Silver Lake is described as a private equity backer focused on returns. The transcript also highlights that Automatic offered severance to employees—$30,000 or six months pay—and that a small portion of staff took the deal.

By the end, the dispute is portrayed as a no-win scenario for WordPress users: one side is accused of using trademark leverage to pressure a major host, while the other is accused of extracting value with minimal community contribution. Either way, the ecosystem’s day-to-day experience—updates, plugins, and even login—has become collateral in a fight over ownership, branding, and open-source legitimacy.