To the WordPress community, it’s becoming increasingly clear that wordpress.org needs to remain not just free (as in no cost), but free in the sense of open and independent—especially free from the direct control of Matt Mullenweg. In light of the ongoing legal case between Automattic/Matt Mullenweg and WPEngine, many are wondering if this could lead to a truly liberated wordpress.org.

I recently uploaded the latest motion from WPEngine (available here) to ChatGPT and asked: If we assume every statement in WPEngine’s motion to be accurate, is it likely that control over wordpress.org will be taken away from Matt Mullenweg?

Here’s ChatGPT’s response:

Based on the motion and assuming all of WPEngine’s claims are accurate, the issue of control over wordpress.org is a complex one and involves deeper legal and organizational considerations. The likelihood of Matt Mullenweg losing control over wordpress.org would depend on several factors, including:

  • According to the motion, Mullenweg personally owns and controls wordpress.org, despite public perceptions that the WordPress Foundation is independent and non-profit. If this arrangement is found to violate legal or contractual obligations (such as conflicts of interest or misuse of authority), the court could potentially intervene.
  • If Mullenweg’s control is deemed to be in conflict with the promises made by the WordPress Foundation about open-source principles and community governance, this could raise legal questions about his authority over the site.

2. Claims of Misconduct

  • If the court finds that Mullenweg’s actions—such as blocking WPEngine’s access, coercing loyalty pledges, and taking over plugins—constitute unfair competition, extortion, or tortious interference, it could lead to more serious consequences. In such a case, the court might impose restrictions on his control of wordpress.org, especially if it determines that his control is being used to harm competitors like WPEngine.

3. Scope of the Preliminary Injunction

  • The motion is primarily asking for a preliminary injunction to stop Automattic’s harmful actions. While this would likely stop Mullenweg from taking retaliatory actions like blocking access or damaging WPEngine’s business in the short term, the broader issue of his control over wordpress.org might not be directly resolved through this injunction.
  • However, if the court finds that Mullenweg’s control of wordpress.org is being used to harm competitors and monopolize the WordPress ecosystem, there could be long-term legal consequences, such as restructuring how wordpress.org is governed or operated.

4. Final Judgment

  • Even if the preliminary injunction is granted, the final resolution of the case would determine whether Mullenweg’s control is fundamentally challenged. This could involve remedies like transferring control of wordpress.org to the WordPress Foundation or creating a more transparent governance structure.

Conclusion

It is possible that control over wordpress.org could be taken away from Matt Mullenweg if the court finds serious misconduct or conflicts of interest that harm competitors and violate the open-source principles of WordPress. However, this would likely be a long-term outcome following full litigation, rather than an immediate result of the current motion. The preliminary injunction, if granted, would temporarily limit Mullenweg’s actions but not necessarily address his broader control over the platform unless the case escalates to that level.

So, what do you think? Feel free to join the discussion over on X (Twitter):
https://x.com/bjornjohansen/status/1847326062918979855