WP Engine Seeks Court Order to Regain WordPress.org Access
WP Engine files an injunction to restore its access to the WordPress.org repository after Matt Mullenweg blocks the company following a recent lawsuit.
Web hosting provider WP Engine files an injunction in a Northern California court to restore its access to the WordPress.org open source repository. This legal action follows a move by WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg, who blocks the company from the platform after WP Engine sues him and Automattic. The block prevents WP Engine from updating its Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin, which WordPress recently takes control of and forks.
The court filing asks the judge to return the situation to the status quo that exists prior to September 20, 2024. WP Engine requests that these protections extend to its affiliates, partners, employees, users, and customers. The dispute escalates further when Mullenweg adds a new checkbox to the WordPress.org contributor login to verify that users have no association with WP Engine.
Automattic strongly denies WP Engine's allegations and calls the filing a gross mischaracterization of reality. A spokesperson for Automattic states that the company is confident in its legal position and plans to vigorously litigate against the request. Meanwhile, WP Engine's CEO Heather Brunner reveals in a court declaration that she previously believes WordPress.org is owned by the nonprofit WordPress Foundation.