Matt Mullenweg announced that WP Engine users have received an extension on accessing updates from the WordPress plugin and theme repository until October 1st.
WordPress Versus WP Engine
For the past week, Mullenweg and the popular web host WP Engine have been entangled in a conflict over a commercial licensing fee that WP Engine has not been paying, unlike other web hosts. Mullenweg’s discontent stems from the belief that WP Engine is not contributing adequately to WordPress. Influential voices in the WordPress community, such as Joost de Valk, support Mullenweg’s stance, asserting that companies, including WP Engine, should contribute more to WordPress.
On the other hand, WP Engine has shared their version of events and has even sent a formal cease and desist letter, viewing Mullenweg’s actions as an unfair business attack.
Regardless of the conflict’s merits, WordPress users on WP Engine are caught in the crossfire, with their businesses disrupted due to the block on WP Engine’s ability to access the WordPress plugin and theme repository, which prevents them from updating plugins and themes.
Temporary Reprieve
Mullenweg announced that he has listened to WordPress users and decided to give them some relief by allowing WP Engine time to develop a solution. WP Engine has until October 1st to set up an alternative method.
He stated:
“I’ve heard from WP Engine customers that they are frustrated that WP Engine hasn’t been able to make updates, plugin directory, theme directory, and Openverse work on their sites. It saddens me that they’ve been negatively impacted by Silver Lake‘s commercial decisions.
WP Engine was well aware that we could remove access when they chose to ignore our efforts to resolve our differences and enter into a commercial licensing agreement. Heather Brunner, Lee Wittlinger, and their Board chose to take this risk.
…We have lifted the blocks of their servers from accessing ours, until October 1, UTC 00:00. Hopefully this helps them spin up their mirrors of all of WordPress.org’s resources that they were using for free while not paying, and making legal threats against us.”
Read more at WordPress.org:
WP Engine Reprieve
Featured Image by Shutterstock/Vladimka production
