WordPress.org is temporarily not accepting new plugins, new plugin reviews, new themes, new photos and new account registrations, Matt Mullenweg, the owner of WordPress.org, has announced. Mullenweg and WordPress host Automattic are involved in a legal battle with WP Engine, which also offers WordPress hosting.
Customers can start their own WordPress site via the WP Engine platform and host it directly with the provider. Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic, recently called WP Engine “a cancer for WordPress.” According to Mullenweg, WP Engine gives customers a poor experience and the company profits from the confusion because people think WP Engine is WordPress.
WP Engine sent a ‘cease and desist’ letter to Automattic asking the company and Mullenweg to retract the ‘false and damaging’ statements about WP Engine and to refrain from making such statements. Pending the legal claims and lawsuits against WordPress.org, Automattic decided to no longer give WP Engine access to WordPress.org resources.
Earlier this month, the judge ruled that access must be restored. In addition, Automattic must remove a list of WP Engine customers who have stopped using WP Engine in recent months. Finally, the judge ruled that Automattic must also remove a check box on the login page that required users to indicate that they were not affiliated with WP Engine.
In the announcement of the ‘Holiday Break’, Mullenweg reports that the aforementioned restrictions regarding new plug-ins, themes and photos do not apply to WP Engine. It is unknown when functionality will be restored for everyone. “I hope to find the time, energy and money to open this all up again sometime in the new year,” said Mullenweg, who added that much of the time he would otherwise spend improving WordPress is taken up by legal battle with WP Engine.
