Filed: WP Engine Inc. v Automattic Inc. and Matthew Charles Mullenweg [pdf]

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Oct 03, 2024, 5:18 PM UTC

mort96 wrote: post #457

mike_d wrote: post #377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Sure, but to do that they'd need to know they are about to be cut off, something which they were given zero warning about According to Automattic they had been in discussions for 20 months. Your anger should be with WPEngine for taking your money while knowing full well their service depended on servers ran by a company they were on (best case) shaky terms with. Up until about 8 months ago, Bluehost (another big pa…

Did Automattic tell WPEngine that they'd cut off plug-in updates 20 motnhs ago? Or is the 20 months thing just completely irrelevant to the point that Automattic should've given a heads up before cutting off plug-in updates

Post by grvdrm » Thu, Oct 03, 2024, 5:20 PM UTC

MaxMatti wrote: post #432

legitster wrote: post #347

I've been a long Wordpress user and proponent for a long time. Until a week ago I had never heard the name Mullenweg. Regardless of who's in the right or wrong here (I have my opinions), my perception of Wordpress flipped a switch overnight. It went from this quiet, reliable, refreshingly boring open source platform to yet another cult of personality tech fiefdom.

Above a certain size all communities sooner or later turn into cults, most of the time around one or a few persons. The ones that you don't perceive as such you just haven't looked into close enough. I wish it were different but so far I have yet to find a community that doesn't fit that description. Not just open source, not just software, any community.

Post by fhfhfhjfnfnfmf » Thu, Oct 03, 2024, 5:22 PM UTC

nightowl_games wrote: post #280

The Stripe attribution stuff that WPEngine is accused of sounds potentially illegal. I don't think Automattic's trademark claims are fundamentally going to hold up. From the complaint: "WPE’s nominative uses of those marks to refer to the open-source software platform and plugin used for its clients’ websites are fair uses under settled trademark law, and they are consistent with WordPress’ own guidelines and the pra…

Post by phonon » Thu, Oct 03, 2024, 5:29 PM UTC

ceejayoz wrote: post #476

austhrow743 wrote: post #470

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That someone gives you the right to use their code doesn't mean they're required to be a free hosting provider for you.

Using the resources of the non-profit you control to kneecap a competitor to the for-profit you control makes that a bit more complicated. I think it's obvious WPE wouldn't be in the clear with Matt even if they went and hosted a mirror/cache of the WP.org packages.

Post by vundercind » Thu, Oct 03, 2024, 5:30 PM UTC

pclmulqdq wrote: post #485

biccboii wrote: post #465

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> WPEngine apparently has deep pockets. Yeah because they don't have to spend any money on R&D nor do they spend money contributing to the open source project :)

It is eternally surprising to me how much "hosted X" businesses can make. There are a lot of non-technical people ready to overspend by 10x just to have someone else be "responsible" for downtime.