WP Engine, a web hosting service, is suing WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg and his company, Automattic, for alleged libel and attempted extortion after a dispute over the WordPress trademark and the open-source project. In the federal lawsuit filed on Wednesday, WP Engine accuses Mullenweg and Automattic of “abuse of power, extortion, and greed,” seeking to stop further harm to WP Engine and the WordPress community.
WP Engine’s lawsuit includes 11 allegations against Mullenweg and Automattic, ranging from libel and slander to attempted extortion and violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The company also claims the WordPress Foundation, led by Mullenweg, failed to disclose its trademark ownership to the IRS and that Mullenweg made false statements to the IRS. In a statement, WP Engine expressed concern over governance issues, saying it was forced to take legal action to protect its people, partners, customers, and the WordPress community.
