[fenomas]

Separate from anything else, Automattic's messaging around this is horrendous - I've only heard their side of the dispute, and they've convinced me they're in the wrong.

Including TFA, everything I've seen from their camp is a hodge-podge of conflicting claims: they say WPE isn't obligated to contribute anything, but also they're taking action because they haven't. Then they say access to wordpress.org is something they provide free to the community, but also they took away WPE's access to it, then restored it, and the fact that customers were affected is WPE's fault. Then there's a trademark dispute involved somehow - which seems to be their only actionable claim, but has no apparent connection to the stuff they're angry about, or what they want to change.

As a disinterested observer, it looks like Automattic asked WPE to contribute more FTEs to the OSS project, but were rebuffed, and are now doing random things that are within their power to retaliate. I don't think that's their intended messaging, but it's sure how it looks.

[bawolff]

> Then there's a trademark dispute involved somehow - which seems to be their only actionable claim, but has no apparent connection to the stuff they're angry about, or what they want to change.

Its not just that it is unrelated. It also seems very weak. Like they are trying to claim the letters WP as a trademark? IANAL but i strongly suspect that wouldn't fly in court.