{"id":81376,"date":"2024-11-08T08:53:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T14:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/?p=81376"},"modified":"2024-12-17T14:46:53","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T20:46:53","slug":"wordpress-wp-engine-conflict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wordpress-wp-engine-conflict\/","title":{"rendered":"There\u2019s Trouble in the WordPress Ecosystem. What Do Businesses Need to Know?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) globally, currently powering 40% of all websites<\/a>. So if you\u2019re following the current drama<\/a> between WordPress founder, Matt Mullenweg, and managed WordPress hosting provider WP Engine, you might be concerned about what will happen if you use WordPress or are thinking about it. If you haven\u2019t been following along, we\u2019ll get you up to speed and explain why their beef might affect a good chunk of the World Wide Web.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does WordPress work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

WordPress.org<\/a> is an open-source CMS that enables users to create and manage websites. It\u2019s attractive to beginners and experienced web developers because it has high customizability and doesn\u2019t require coding knowledge. WordPress supports most website types, from personal blogs to complex e-commerce<\/a> stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though WordPress is open source and, therefore, technically unowned, the nonprofit WordPress Foundation holds the trademark<\/a>. The first version of WordPress was launched in 2003<\/a> by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. Mullenweg later founded Automattic<\/a>, the company that owns WordPress.com, the for-profit wing of WordPress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Open-source software is free to use and anyone can modify or distribute it. As WordPress grew in popularity, hosting companies began offering managed WordPress hosting,<\/a> which took care of technical needs like backups, security, speed optimization and software updates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WP Engine, a prominent managed WordPress hosting provider, is not directly affiliated with WordPress, although the \u201cWP\u201d in its name may suggest otherwise. WP Engine uses WordPress\u2019s open-source code, as many hosting companies do, to power its services. (WordPress.com also offers hosting.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\"SUCCESS+<\/a>\n\n\n\n

Why are WP Engine and WordPress at odds?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

WordPress wants companies that profit from its ecosystem to contribute to its development. On Sept. 20, Mullenweg criticized WP Engine<\/a> (which bills itself<\/a> as the No.1 provider for the most-visited WordPress sites on the web) during a presentation at WordCamp US 2024, the biggest annual gathering of WordPress users. Mullenweg alleged that Silverlake, the private equity firm that owns WP Engine, contributed only 47 hours per week<\/a> to WordPress, compared to Automattic\u2019s 3,786. The next day, in a blog post,<\/a> Mullenweg lobbed additional jabs at WP Engine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response, WP Engine issued a cease and desist letter<\/a> to Automattic, which replied with its own cease and desist letter<\/a> on Sept. 23. Automattic claimed WP Engine was violating intellectual property by using the WordPress and WooCommerce<\/a> (an open source e-commerce plugin for WordPress) trademarks in its marketing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Oct. 12, WordPress forked (created an independent copy of) a WP Engine plugin called Advanced Custom Fields to create a new plugin called Secure Custom Fields, claiming they removed commercial upsells and resolved a security issue. WordPress also banned WP Engine<\/a> from using WordPress.org\u2019s resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WP Engine filed a motion for a preliminary injunction<\/a> against Automattic and Mullenweg, arguing that the WordPress community would suffer irreparable harm from Mullenweg\u2019s actions. This was after WP Engine filed a lawsuit accusing them of extortion and abuse of power. Automattic and Mullenberg asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit<\/a>, claiming that WP Engine was still using the WordPress trademark \u201cin unauthorized ways.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to do if you use WordPress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have a website, you might be wondering about potential business implications, even if you aren\u2019t a WP Engine customer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ernie Smith is a freelance journalist and editor of the long-running newsletter Tedium<\/a>, which offers \u201cstrange and unusual descriptions of common things, explained in extreme depth,\u201d according to its website<\/a>. He advises businesses to make decisions based on their involvement in the WordPress ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you have a website with 10,000 posts, and you\u2019ve been committed to the WordPress ecosystem for a decade, it\u2019s going to be a much different conversation than if [you\u2019re] thinking about a content strategy like WordPress,\u201d Smith says. \u201cIf you\u2019re in the former, your best option is to stay the course while keeping abreast of the current days. In the case of the latter, look at other options.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are certainly alternatives to WordPress. If you like being able to drag and drop, SquareSpace<\/a>\u2019s simple user interface has become a choice option for business owners in a pinch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smith notes that the right CMS often depends on a user\u2019s web development skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGhost<\/a> comes to mind. For my personal website, I use Craft CMS<\/a>\u2014it\u2019s also plugin based,\u201d says Smith. \u201cIt\u2019s built less for putting in your own things and more with the idea that you\u2019re going to build a design from the ground up. But it\u2019s pretty solid. It\u2019s got a good community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While WordPress remains a dominant force in content management, this recent dispute with WP Engine could bring changes to the ecosystem. But if you\u2019ve committed a lot of time to WordPress, don\u2019t bail yet! Just stay informed and remain adaptable<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo by Primakov\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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So if you\u2019re following the <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/10\/29\/wordpress-vs-wp-engine-drama-explained\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">current drama<\/a> between WordPress founder, Matt Mullenweg, and managed WordPress hosting provider WP Engine, you might be concerned about what will happen if you use WordPress or are thinking about it. If you haven\u2019t been following along, we\u2019ll get you up to speed and explain why their beef might affect a good chunk of the World Wide Web.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-does-wordpress-work\">How does WordPress work?<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/wordpress.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WordPress.org<\/a> is an open-source CMS that enables users to create and manage websites. It\u2019s attractive to beginners and experienced web developers because it has high customizability and doesn\u2019t require coding knowledge. WordPress supports most website types, from personal blogs to complex <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/5-elements-of-a-great-e-commerce-website\/\">e-commerce<\/a> stores.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Though WordPress is open source and, therefore, technically unowned, the nonprofit WordPress Foundation holds the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/why-trademarking-is-a-valuable-asset-for-building-your-new-business\/\">trademark<\/a>. The first version of WordPress <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/news\/the-history-of-wordpress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">was launched in 2003<\/a> by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. Mullenweg later founded <a href=\"https:\/\/automattic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Automattic<\/a>, the company that owns WordPress.com, the for-profit wing of WordPress.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Open-source software is free to use and anyone can modify or distribute it. As WordPress grew in popularity, hosting companies began offering <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.com\/go\/website-building\/what-is-managed-wordpress-hosting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">managed WordPress hosting,<\/a> which took care of technical needs like backups, security, speed optimization and software updates. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>WP Engine, a prominent managed WordPress hosting provider, is not directly affiliated with WordPress, although the \u201cWP\u201d in its name may suggest otherwise. WP Engine uses WordPress\u2019s open-source code, as many hosting companies do, to power its services. (WordPress.com also offers hosting.)<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n\n<!-- \/wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-are-wp-engine-and-wordpress-at-odds\">Why are WP Engine and WordPress at odds?<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>WordPress wants companies that profit from its ecosystem to contribute to its development. On Sept. 20, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fnI-QcVSwMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mullenweg criticized WP Engine<\/a> (which <a href=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/why-wpengine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bills itself<\/a> as the No.1 provider for the most-visited WordPress sites on the web) during a presentation at WordCamp US 2024, the biggest annual gathering of WordPress users. Mullenweg alleged that Silverlake, the private equity firm that owns WP Engine, contributed only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2024\/10\/05\/wordpress-ceo-matt-mullenweg-goes-nuclear-on-silver-lake-wp-engine-.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">47 hours per week<\/a> to WordPress, compared to Automattic\u2019s 3,786. The next day, <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/news\/2024\/09\/wp-engine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">in a blog post,<\/a> Mullenweg lobbed additional jabs at WP Engine. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In response, WP Engine issued a <a href=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Cease-and-Desist-Letter-to-Automattic-and-Request-to-Preserve-Documents-Sent.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cease and desist letter<\/a> to Automattic, which replied with its own <a href=\"https:\/\/automattic.com\/2024\/wp-engine-cease-and-desist.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cease and desist letter<\/a> on Sept. 23. Automattic claimed WP Engine was violating intellectual property by using the WordPress and <a href=\"https:\/\/ma.tt\/2024\/09\/ecosystem-thinking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WooCommerce<\/a> (an open source e-commerce plugin for WordPress) trademarks in its marketing. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On Oct. 12, WordPress forked (created an independent copy of) a WP Engine plugin called Advanced Custom Fields to create a new plugin called Secure Custom Fields, claiming they removed commercial upsells and resolved a security issue. WordPress also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2024\/10\/05\/wordpress-ceo-matt-mullenweg-goes-nuclear-on-silver-lake-wp-engine-.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">banned WP Engine<\/a> from using WordPress.org\u2019s resources.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>WP Engine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25237665-wp-engine-injunction?responsive=1&title=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">filed a motion for a preliminary injunction<\/a> against Automattic and Mullenweg, arguing that the WordPress community would suffer irreparable harm from Mullenweg\u2019s actions. This was after WP Engine filed a lawsuit accusing them of extortion and abuse of power. Automattic and Mullenberg asked the court to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2024\/10\/31\/24284537\/wordpress-court-dismiss-wp-engine-lawsuit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dismiss the lawsuit<\/a>, claiming that WP Engine was still using the WordPress trademark \u201cin unauthorized ways.\u201d <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-legal-considerations\">Legal considerations<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Nafsika Karavida, an intellectual property lawyer at <a href=\"https:\/\/rpjlaw.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reavis Page Jump LLP<\/a>, believes WordPress would face difficulties if it pursued legal action against WP Engine for trademark violations.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cWP Engine has been using it for a long time,\u201d says Karavida. \u201cThey\u2019ve recently changed and modified their use a little bit, which is interesting.\u201d <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>For instance, WP Engine <a href=\"https:\/\/wpandlegalstuff.com\/wp-engine-changes-use-of-trademarks-on-its-website\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">changed some of the text on certain parts of their website<\/a>, seemingly attempting to reduce any implied affiliation with WordPress. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cAnd they have probably done that after they received legal advice from a trademark attorney\u2026 The statute of limitations in California is four years for trademark infringement, and [WP Engine\u2019s] use from the beginning has gone back to 2010 if you read the complaint,\u201d says Karavida.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Also, the fact that WordPress has allowed other companies to use its trademark complicates its legal position. There are multiple managed hosting companies that offer \u201cWordPress hosting,\u201d including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.godaddy.com\/hosting\/wordpress-hosting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GoDaddy<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cloudways.com\/en\/managed-wordpress-hosting.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cloudways<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.a2hosting.com\/wordpress-hosting\/managed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A2 Hosting<\/a>.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-to-do-if-you-use-wordpress\">What to do if you use WordPress<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>If you have a website, you might be wondering about potential business implications, even if you aren\u2019t a WP Engine customer. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ernie Smith is a freelance journalist and editor of the long-running newsletter <a href=\"https:\/\/tedium.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tedium<\/a>, which offers \u201cstrange and unusual descriptions of common things, explained in extreme depth,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/tedium.co\/what-is-tedium\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according to its website<\/a>. He advises businesses to make decisions based on their involvement in the WordPress ecosystem.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cIf you have a website with 10,000 posts, and you\u2019ve been committed to the WordPress ecosystem for a decade, it\u2019s going to be a much different conversation than if [you\u2019re] thinking about a content strategy like WordPress,\u201d Smith says. \u201cIf you\u2019re in the former, your best option is to stay the course while keeping abreast of the current days. In the case of the latter, look at other options.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>There are certainly alternatives to WordPress. If you like being able to drag and drop, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squarespace.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SquareSpace<\/a>\u2019s simple user interface has become a choice option for business owners in a pinch. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Smith notes that the right CMS often depends on a user\u2019s web development skills. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/ghost.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ghost<\/a> comes to mind. For my personal website, I use <a href=\"https:\/\/craftcms.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Craft CMS<\/a>\u2014it\u2019s also plugin based,\u201d says Smith. \u201cIt\u2019s built less for putting in your own things and more with the idea that you\u2019re going to build a design from the ground up. But it\u2019s pretty solid. It\u2019s got a good community.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While WordPress remains a dominant force in content management, this recent dispute with WP Engine could bring changes to the ecosystem. But if you\u2019ve committed a lot of time to WordPress, don\u2019t bail yet! Just stay informed and remain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/be-more-adaptable-to-stress-less\/\">adaptable<\/a>.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"fontSize\":\"small\"} -->\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><strong><em>Photo by Primakov\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->","tag_names":[],"post_attachment_urls":[],"author_email":"nnorris@mailinator.com","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32422"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81376"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81376\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}