In a surprising twist, WordPress hosting giant WP Engine has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg after he publicly referred to WP Engine as a “cancer to WordPress.” The statement, made last week at WordCamp, sparked heated reactions within the WordPress community, and now the conflict has escalated into a legal battle.

WP Engine, a company that monetizes WordPress services, accused Mullenweg of threatening the company ahead of the summit, demanding a large sum of money to license WordPress-related trademarks.

The letter alleged that Mullenweg warned of a “scorched earth nuclear approach” against WP Engine if they refused to meet his financial demands. When they didn’t comply, Mullenweg reportedly followed through on his threat, making disparaging remarks during his keynote speech.

Mullenweg’s criticism centered around WP Engine’s contributions to WordPress. He claimed WP Engine dedicates just 47 hours weekly to WordPress’s “Five for the Future” initiative, compared to Automattic’s 3,900 hours. WP Engine’s letter strongly refuted these claims, defending its use of the WordPress trademark and its role in the community.

The tension has deepened as screenshots in the letter allegedly show Mullenweg threatening WP Engine with exclusion from future WordPress events. Automattic, so far, has not publicly responded.

The feud has raised questions about fairness in the WordPress ecosystem and the blurred lines between competition and collaboration in open-source projects.