TLDR · MISCELLANEOUS

AUTOMATTIC IS DOING OPEN SOURCE DIRTY

world.hey.com3 min read

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

Automattic demanding 8% of WP Engine's revenues for not 'giving back enough' to WordPress is a violation of general open source ideals and the specifics of the GPL license. The potential damage to the open source world extends far beyond WordPress. Open source has been successful over the last several decades because of the clarity and certainty of its licensing regime, which allows people to build a business on open source without fear of frivolous claims or surprise shakedowns. The integrity of these licenses is under direct assault by Automattic's claim for WP Engine's revenues. Automattic is able to change its license away from the GPL if it wishes.