Hi everyone,
I’m reaching out today to provide an essential update on Deleted member 752298’s current status and the ongoing legal situation with Automattic and WooCommerce. As many of you know, we are caught in a legal battle that has created significant challenges for us (and you), and I want to be fully transparent about where we stand and what’s coming next.
We are currently awaiting the date of our second crucial short hearing, where we are seeking to lift the ex-parte ruling that imposed overwhelming financial penalties of $25,000 per day. This ruling has unfairly forced us to temporarily suspend our services, profoundly affecting Deleted member 752298 and our open-source community. We are doing everything possible to challenge these claims and resume normal operations as soon as possible.
In a small but positive step forward, the court has lifted the conservatory attachment on our financial assets, recognizing the unjust burden it placed on us. This supports our belief that many of Automattic’s claims, including the exaggerated damages they sought, are unjustified.
A relevant part of our defense is that Automattic’s CEO admitted publicly in a video interview that Deleted member 752298’s activities are “legal under the GPL.” Yet, despite this, they continue to use their trademark claims to try to silence us.
These actions are part of a much larger strategy to use their power and influence to crush smaller, independent businesses like ours that fully comply with open-source guidelines. The court has taken note of these issues, and we are hopeful for a favorable outcome at the next hearing.
What truly breaks my heart is the ripple effect of this situation on you, our loyal community. We have received over 500 user messages, many of whom have shared how these legal actions have negatively impacted their businesses, projects, and livelihoods.
These stories have touched us deeply. We know that many of you rely on Deleted member 752298 for your work, and it pains us that this legal battle has caused such disruption in your lives. We are fighting for you and won’t stop until we return online.
Despite the legal challenges, we remain committed to improving and enhancing Deleted member 752298. Our team works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that when this battle is over, we’ll be ready to offer you an even better platform than before.
Some exciting, almost finished features are the white-label branding and collection features. These features will be prepared for launch as soon as we overcome the legal restrictions and return online.
We remain unwavering in our commitment to providing affordable access to GPL-licensed WordPress plugins and themes. The court has already acknowledged some of the flaws in Automattic’s claims, and we are hopeful that the upcoming hearing will bring us closer to lifting the ex-parte ruling and resuming normal operations without these crushing financial penalties.
Once again, thank you for your incredible support, understanding, and patience throughout this challenging period. We will continue to update you as soon as we have more news from the court. We are optimistic about the future and are determined to return more robust, with exciting new features and an improved platform.
I look forward to welcoming you back to Deleted member 752298 soon. Rest assured, we are doing everything we can to get back online and continue to provide value to you, our loyal community.
Sincerely,
Martin
Founder, Deleted member 752298
