WordPress Trademark Dispute Escalates Between Automattic and WP Engine

The conflict over trademark use has led to lawsuits and disruptions within the WordPress community.

Automattic founder Matt Mullenweg criticized WP Engine for misusing the WordPress brand and disabling key features.
WP Engine filed a lawsuit against Automattic, accusing it of extortion and abuse of power in demanding $32 million annually for trademark use.
The dispute led to a temporary ban of WP Engine from accessing WordPress.org resources, impacting many websites.
WP Engine claims fair use of the WordPress trademark and argues Automattic's actions contradict open-source principles.
The conflict has caused significant unrest within the WordPress community, with concerns over governance and trademark control.