Automattic-WP Engine Term Sheet

https://automattic.com/2024/10/01/wpe-terms/

by archb • 2 years ago

9 5 2 years ago

automattic.com

unsnap_biceps• 2 years ago

I don't understand why they would post this at all. What does Matt hope to get out of this scorched earth campaign?

ankleturtle• 2 years ago

WP Engine, itself. He is already threatening a "corporate takeover."[0]

0. https://www.therepository.email/mullenweg-threatens-corporat...

graeme2• 2 years ago

Notable that they don't have a single piece of communication from WPEngine indicating that WPEngine at any point entertained the demands as anything Automatic had a legal right to.

Wpengine'a claim was that Matt tried to shake them down last minute before his talk, with specific threats. That appears to be accurate and Matt hasn't disputed it. The term sheet was sent the day before Matt's talk.

What he has provided here is evidence consistent with the idea that Matt had been trying to shakedown WPEngine for a period of a year and a half.

I checked and Wordpress.org refers to sites offering Wordpress hosting services as "Wordpress hosts". Automatic's trademark claim doesn't seem strong in light of industry standards they've allowed and used themselves.

joshbetz• 2 years ago

According to the timeline they first sent it in May. The day before the talk was presumably just the latest attempt to negotiate.

graeme2• 2 years ago

No, they said:

FIRST term sheet sent in May

Emphasis mine. Then

For transparency, Automattic is publishing the full term sheet WPE was offered on September 20th.

If it was the same term sheet they would not have distinguished it. Note that they did not publish the first term sheet.

Automattic-WP Engine Term Sheet

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