WordPress has banned WP Engine from sponsoring or participating in its community events, escalating a dispute between the two organizations. This move, announced ahead of WordCamp Sydney, comes amidst a heated exchange between WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg and Ruby on Rails creator David Heinemeier Hansson.

WordCamp Sydney informed attendees on Monday, October 14, that WP Engine can no longer sponsor or have employees speak at the event. An email sent to WordPress event organizers reiterated this, citing that WP Engine’s involvement violates sponsorship rules related to trademark respect.

Sad to announce we’ve been officially told @wpengine can’t sponsor WordCamp Sydney, and its employees are banned from organising and speaking 😭 We’re forced to say goodbye to our speakers and friends @RickyBlacker69 and Kimberly Pater and organiser Sam Toohey #WCSyd #WordPress

— WordCamp Sydney (@wordcampsyd) October 14, 2024

According to Matt Mullenweg, WP Engine profits from WordPress without making significant contributions to its development. “Our beef is with their trademark abuse,” Mullenweg explained in a public post, dismissing claims that the dispute centered on open-source licensing. He criticized WP Engine for failing to properly license the “WordPress” trademark.

However, WordCamp Sydney expressed concern, noting that WP Engine has significantly supported the Australian WordPress community over the past decade. “It’s not just about contributing dev back to core,” event organizers said, highlighting the company’s broader contributions.

This ban is just one aspect of the broader conflict between Mullenweg and David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH), who has publicly criticized Mullenweg’s handling of WordPress and open-source matters. DHH described Mullenweg’s actions as damaging to the spirit of open-source collaboration.

In a blog post, DHH reflected on the relationship between creators and the businesses that thrive using open-source projects, saying, “The moment you go down the path of gratitude grievances, you’ll see ungrateful ghosts everywhere.”

Meanwhile, WordPress also offered to restore a WP Engine-backed plugin to its directory under the condition that WP Engine resolves its trademark issues and drops lawsuits against WordPress. This ongoing drama has unsettled the WordPress community, with some consultants reporting lost contracts and concerns from clients about the platform’s future stability.

One consultant revealed losing a $40,000 project due to the controversy, calling Mullenweg’s actions a “petty war” that threatens their business.

The fallout continues to ripple through the community, as questions about WordPress’s future stability and leadership grow, leaving developers and users uncertain about the platform’s direction.