Automattic Inc., the company behind WordPress, and its founder, Matt Mullenweg, are facing increasing scrutiny after a proposed class action lawsuit accused them of deliberately undermining WP Engine (WPE) and its customers. The suit, filed by WPE customer Ryan Keller, alleges that Automattic disrupts website maintenance and security for hundreds of thousands of users in a trademark dispute that escalated into what Keller described as “extortion.”
According to Ars Technica, Keller’s lawsuit claims that Automattic used its control over the WordPress ecosystem to interfere with WPE’s business, making it nearly impossible for WPE customers to operate normally.
The complaint suggests that the dispute stems from Mullenweg’s demand for “tens of millions of dollars” from WPE for trademark usage—an amount allegedly based not on actual trademark value but on what WPE believed it could afford.
The lawsuit alleges that when WPE resisted, Automattic retaliated by blocking its access to essential WordPress updates, security patches, and plugins.
Keller, whose company Keller Holdings LLC has relied on WPE for over a decade, argues that WordPress was built on a promise of open-source accessibility. He contends that Automattic’s actions contradict this commitment, amounting to “an appalling deception.”
The complaint further alleges that Automattic sought to poach WPE’s customers by emailing them with offers to restore access — if they left WPE. The interference did not stop there, Keller claims. Automattic allegedly required all WordPress users to confirm they were unaffiliated with WPE before accessing resources, posted a list identifying WPE customers, and even took control of a popular WPE plugin, renaming the author credit to itself.
Automatti has denied any wrongdoing calling the lawsuit “without merit” and rehashing of WPE’s ongoing legal battle. In December 2024, a California court ordered Automattic to restore WP Engine’s access.
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