Judge Rules Against Automattic: WP Engine Gains Access to WordPress Resources
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WP Engine Wins Preliminary Injunction Against Automattic
In a significant legal battle, WP Engine, a prominent third-party WordPress hosting service, secured a preliminary injunction against Automattic, the parent company of WordPress. A California District Court judge has ordered Automattic to cease blocking WP Engine's access to WordPress.org resources and to stop interfering with its plugins.
The Lawsuit Background
The preliminary injunction emerges from a lawsuit filed by WP Engine that accuses Automattic and its CEO, Matt Mullenweg, of causing "multiple forms of immediate irreparable harm." WP Engine has requested the court to prevent Mullenweg from restricting their access to WordPress.org, a crucial resource for their business operations.
Automattic's Allegations Against WP Engine
Previously, Mullenweg publicly criticized WP Engine, alleging that the hosting service was misusing the WordPress trademark and failing to contribute adequately to the WordPress community. In a controversial move, Automattic had even blocked WP Engine's access to the WordPress.org servers and took control of WP Engine’s popular ACF Plugin.
Judge's Ruling
Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín acknowledged the legitimacy of WP Engine’s claims, noting that Automattic’s actions were detrimental to WP Engine's business relationships. She stated that Mullenweg’s conduct seemed aimed at disrupting WP Engine’s operations.
Impact of the Ruling
Judge Martínez-Olguín rejected Automattic’s argument that WP Engine's reliance on WordPress.org was self-imposed, suggesting instead that Automattic’s role in exacerbating that harm was significant. The ruling concluded that WP Engine is likely to experience irreparable harm without injunctive relief, which would also affect the broader WordPress community.
Consequences for Automattic
As part of the preliminary injunction, the court has mandated that Automattic must remove a list of companies it created that tracked outgoing WP Engine customers. Furthermore, they are required to eliminate a checkbox requesting WordPress users confirm they are not associated with WP Engine when logging in.
Conclusion
This ruling highlights the ongoing tensions within the WordPress ecosystem and raises questions about the responsibilities and relationships between platform providers and their third-party partners. As this case unfolds, it will likely set a precedent for future interactions between hosting services and platform owners.
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