WordPress, one of the most widely used platforms for building websites in the world, is at the center of a legal battle involving WP Engine and Automattic, a company led by Matt Mullenweg. This episode, which is already being called one of the most important cases in the industry, raises fundamental questions about the future of WordPress in 2025.
If you are not up to date with the latest developments on the subject, we invite you to first check out the content below:
WordPress Co-Founder Says WP Engine Is a “Cancer”
WP Engine and WordPress in legal dispute? Understand the case
WordPress has blocked WP Engine and the decision affects thousands of websites
The court case and the court decision
According to Search Engine Journal , in December 2024, a court ruled in favor of WP Engine, granting an injunction against Automattic and Mullenweg. The ruling determined that Automattic's practices caused irreparable harm to WP Engine and WordPress. Among the measures required by the court were:
Restoring access and control: WP Engine must restore bitcoin data access to accounts and plugins , such as Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), that had been changed without authorization.
suspension of technological blocks: barriers, such as IP blocking, implemented in September 2024, must be removed.
Removal of restrictions: Automattic was ordered to remove provisions that were detrimental to WP Engine, such as the checkbox added to login.wordpress.org requiring users to declare that they had no ties to WP Engine.
According to the court, the decision aims to preserve the status quo until the final judgment, restoring stability to the WordPress environment and its users. This resolution directly impacts more than 40% of the websites on the internet that use the platform.
The relevance of the decision for the 2025 market
WordPress is largely open source, allowing companies like WP Engine and Automattic to build profitable services and products around the platform. However, the clash has revealed weaknesses in the balance of interests between companies operating in this market.