Linux Foundation tries to play peacemaker in ongoing WordPress scuffle

The Linux Foundation on Friday introduced a new method to distribute WordPress updates and plugins that's not controlled by any one party, in a bid to "stabilize the WordPress ecosystem" after months of infighting.

The FAIR Package Manager project is a response to the legal brawl that erupted last year, pitting WordPress co-creator Matthew Mullenweg, his for-profit hosting firm Automattic, and the WordPress Foundation that he controls, against WP Engine, a rival commercial WordPress hosting firm.

WordPress is a set of widely used technologies for creating and hosting websites. Many elements of WordPress are open source, and companies can host their own instance, but frequently turn to a commercial third-party hoster. And that's where the trouble started.

Although it's mostly open source, WordPress is a trademarked term, and those trademarks are controlled by the WordPress Foundation, which Mullenweg founded to promote the project. His company, Automattic, and ...