[cromka]

It's one thing to feel attacked, but they apparently actively try to undermine and derail the competing open source project. That's not mere defending, that's open hostility. So the obvious inclination, IMHO, is that the company behind the original code wants to continue to gain from the ongoing (and, ideally, perpetual) cost of maintenance. Naturally said software company itself cannot openly be the source of those obstructing software changes, so they have the officials to act on their behalf and request them. I hardly can think of any other scenario in this case.