Dockside Press
Kevin Geary recently shared a cease-and-desist letter he received from the law offices of Morgan Lewis, who represent Automattic. The letter states that Matt Mullenweg/Automattic are concerned that Mr. Geary’s product, Automatic CSS (ACSS), is a nearly identical mark to the many trademarks that Automattic has, and it worried there could be confusion for consumers. It then continues to request that Mr. Geary rebrand his product.
The letter comes one day after Mr. Geary recently held a livestream that criticized a post by Jamie Marsland, who is the Head of WordPress YouTube:
This isn’t the first time Mr. Geary has been critical of WordPress features, especially when it comes to Gutenberg or Mr. Mullenweg. He’s been an avid critic on X and YouTube. Given the timing of the cease-and-desist letter, whether or not it has merit, it seems that Mr. Mullenweg is trying a legal avenue to counter Mr. Geary’s criticisms.
This also isn’t the first time that Mr. Mullenweg has pursued legal paths against other companies within the WordPress ecosystem. The notorious Automattic vs WP Engine dispute rocked the community when Mr. Mullenweg called them out at WCUS 2024.
Regardless of what the outcome is of the Automattic vs WP Engine case is, it is undoubtedly apparent that the WordPress community drastically changed, confidence was shaken, and leadership was questioned.
Now, with another legal battle brewing, time will tell how the battle itself will happen between these two individuals, but also how it will impact a seemingly fragile and hesitant community.
