WordPress and WP Engine Clash Over Trademark and Open Source Ethics

The escalating dispute between WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg and hosting provider WP Engine raises concerns about control and contributions within the open source community.

• Matt Mullenweg, WordPress founder, criticized WP Engine for using the 'WP' brand and not contributing to the WordPress open source project.
• WP Engine responded with a cease-and-desist letter, claiming fair use of the WordPress trademark and alleging Mullenweg demanded a large payment.
• The conflict led to WP Engine being banned from WordPress.org resources, affecting site updates and security, until a temporary lift was granted.
• Over 150 Automattic employees departed following Mullenweg's offer to resign if they disagreed with his handling of the WP Engine situation.
• The controversy has sparked wider debates about the control of open source projects and the potential impact on WordPress's future stability.

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