The legal showdown between Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, and WP Engine, one of the largest managed WordPress hosting providers, has entered a new phase. On Friday, Automattic filed counterclaims against WP Engine, accusing the company of trademark infringement, deceptive marketing, and breach of community ethics that underpin the open-source WordPress ecosystem.
According to Automattic, WP Engine’s actions constitute a deliberate misuse of the WordPress trademark. The lawsuit argues that WP Engine misrepresented its role in the community by calling itself “The WordPress Technology Company” and allowing partners to refer to it as “WordPress Engine.” Automattic contends that this move blurred the line between the open-source WordPress.org project and WP Engine’s for-profit business.
The controversy stems from October 2024, when WP Engine sued Automattic and its CEO, Matt Mullenweg, for defamation and abuse of power, after Mullenweg publicly called the company a “cancer to WordPress.” WP Engine’s lawsuit painted itself as the victim of Automattic’s aggression. However, Automattic’s new counterclaim presents a different narrative — one of bad faith negotiations and strategic trademark violations designed to boost WP Engine’s valuation.
The filing emphasizes that after private equity firm Silver Lake invested $250 million into WP Engine, the hosting provider shifted from collaboration to exploitation. Automattic alleges that Silver Lake’s profit-driven motives encouraged WP Engine to avoid paying licensing fees and continue using protected WordPress branding to enhance its market appeal. Furthermore, Automattic claims that WP Engine launched misleading products like “Core WordPress” and “Headless WordPress,” falsely suggesting deep integration and official endorsement by WordPress itself.
In its counterclaims, Automattic also accuses WP Engine of “pretending to engage in licensing talks” while negotiating in bad faith. The complaint asserts that WP Engine intentionally delayed discussions to maintain unauthorized use of the WordPress trademark for as long as possible. Meanwhile, Silver Lake allegedly sought to offload WP Engine at a $2 billion valuation, even reaching out to Automattic itself as a potential buyer — an irony not lost on observers.
Automattic further claims WP Engine degraded user experience and product quality during this period to cut costs, removing essential features that negatively impacted customers. This, according to Automattic, underscores how profit motives overshadowed community values that have long guided the WordPress project.
WP Engine, however, dismissed the counterclaims as meritless. In a statement, the company said its use of the WordPress name complies with “longstanding industry practice and fair use under settled trademark law.” It vowed to “defend against these baseless claims.”
Conclusion:
The escalating feud between Automattic and WP Engine underscores the growing tension between open-source ideals and commercial interests in the WordPress ecosystem. As both companies prepare for a protracted legal battle, the outcome may redefine how third-party hosts use the WordPress trademark — and how far Automattic will go to protect its brand integrity in an increasingly commercialized web environment.
