A California district court has directed Automattic and CEO Matt Mullenweg to reinstate WP Engine’s access to WordPress.org. WP Engine filed the lawsuit, accusing Automattic of banning it from the platform unfairly and engaging in extortion.

In September, Mullenweg labeled WP Engine a “cancer to WordPress” during an event and soon banned the company from accessing WordPress.org. This decision disrupted WP Engine’s management of plugins and themes, including its Advanced Custom Field (ACF) plugin. Automattic later took control of ACF, renamed it Secure Custom Fields (SCF), and continued its development independently.

Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin ruled that Automattic must restore WP Engine’s access to WordPress.org and return ACF plugin control to its original developers. Additionally, the court instructed Automattic to remove a login page checkbox that required users to confirm they had no affiliation with WP Engine. It also ordered the removal of a webpage that displayed customer defections from WP Engine.

Automattic expressed its intent to challenge the ruling. In a statement, the company asserted, “This preliminary decision lacks the benefit of full discovery or our counterclaims. We plan to defend this case vigorously.”

WP Engine welcomed the ruling as a victory for the WordPress ecosystem. A spokesperson remarked, “This decision restores stability and ensures fair competition within the WordPress community. We remain committed to serving our customers and fostering an open-source environment.”

This high-profile legal battle underscores deeper tensions within the WordPress ecosystem. Industry observers continue to debate the responsibilities of major players in maintaining fair practices on open-source platforms.

As the case progresses, both companies face rising pressure to resolve their dispute while safeguarding the interests of millions of WordPress users worldwide.