The world of WordPress, which powers around 40% of websites, is embroiled in a bitter controversy between its founder Matt Mullenweg and WP Engine, a hosting company that offers WordPress-based solutions. The dispute centers around WP Engine's use of the "WP" brand, which Mullenweg claims is confusing customers into believing it is part of WordPress.

The controversy began in mid-September when Mullenweg wrote a blog post calling WP Engine a "cancer to WordPress." He criticized the host for disabling the ability for users to see and track the revision history for every post, which he believes is at the "core of the user promise of protecting your data." Mullenweg also accused WP Engine of not contributing sufficiently to the open-source project and using the "WP" brand without permission.

In response, WP Engine sent a cease-and-desist letter to Mullenweg and Automattic, asking them to withdraw their comments. The company claimed that its use of the WordPress trademark was covered under fair use. However, Automattic sent its own cease-and-desist letter to WP Engine, saying that they had breached WordPress and WooCommerce trademark usage rules.

The WordPress Foundation also updated its Trademark Policy page, calling out WP Engine for confusing users. The page reads, "The abbreviation 'WP' is not covered by the WordPress trademarks, but please don't use it in a way that confuses people. For example, many people think WP Engine is 'WordPress Engine' and is officially associated with WordPress, which is not."

The dispute escalated when Mullenweg banned WP Engine from accessing the resources of WordPress.org, which broke a lot of websites and prevented them from updating plug-ins and themes. WP Engine responded by saying that Mullenweg had misused his control of WordPress to interfere with WP Engine customers' access to WordPress.org.

As the legal battle continues, the WordPress community is growing increasingly concerned about the implications of this dispute. Developers and providers are worried that if WP Engine is forced to pay a licensing fee to use the WordPress trademark, it could set a precedent for other companies. The community is also seeking clarification from Automattic on how they can and can't use "WordPress."

Meanwhile, WP Engine has updated its site's footer to clarify that it is not directly affiliated with the WordPress Foundation or owns the WordPress trade. The company has also changed its plan names from "Essential WordPress," "Core WordPress," and "Enterprise WordPress" to "Essential," "Core," and "Enterprise."

The dispute has sparked a wider debate about the control of open-source projects and the role of commercial entities in the WordPress ecosystem. As the legal battle continues, the WordPress community is holding its breath, waiting to see how this controversy will play out.

In a related development, Automattic has created a new page called WP Engine Tracker to show how many websites have switched from WP Engine to another hosting provider. The company has also filed a motion to dismiss key accusations made by WP Engine, citing that the company is responsible for harming itself.

The controversy has also led to an exodus of employees from Automattic, with 159 employees taking a severance package and leaving the company. The departures have raised concerns about the future of WordPress and the impact of this dispute on the community.

As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the WordPress community is caught in the crossfire of a bitter trademark dispute that has far-reaching implications for the future of open-source projects.