WordPress.com Owner Automattic Inc. Says It Owns the Word ‘Automatic’

Automattic, the parent company behind WordPress.com, is demanding that a small WordPress framework developer, Automatic.CSS, change its name, claiming that the term ‘automatic’ is too similar to its own trademark and thus reigniting long-running tensions.

• Automattic sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding that Automatic.CSS rebrand.
• Automattic argues that ‘Automattic’ and ‘Automatic’ are phonetically identical.
• Creator Kevin Geary publicly rejected the claim, saying the term is generic.

Automattic vs. Automatic.CSS: A Battle Over a Word

Specifically, in a letter dated October 30, Automattic’s attorney Jim Davis wrote to Automatic.CSS, claiming that the smaller company’s name infringes Automattic’s trademark and confuses WordPress customers. As the letter reads:

“Automattic and Automatic differ by only one letter, are phonetically identical, and are marketed to many of the same people. This all enhances the potential for consumer confusion and dilution of our client’s Automattic mark.”

Furthermore, the attorney’s demand was that Automatic.CSS “rebrand away from using Automatic or anything similar to Automattic.”

On the other hand, Kevin Geary, the founder of Automatic.CSS, a CSS framework for WordPress page builders, responded by posting the full letter on X on November 2. Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg replied directly to him, stating that:

“We also own automatic.com. You had to know this was a fraught naming area.”

However, Geary shot back, saying that:

“AutomaticCSS is called ‘automatic’ because it does a lot of things automatically. Congratulations on owning the domain name for a generic term.”

Meanwhile, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Automattic’s own trademark filing lists the word “automatic” as a disclaimed term, which means it’s too generic to be protected by itself.

A Broader WordPress Civil War

Notably, this dispute comes amid a wider conflict between Mullenweg’s Automattic and other major players in the WordPress ecosystem. In 2024, Automattic went after WP Engine, accusing it of misusing the WordPress brand and failing to contribute enough to open-source development.

That feud escalated into lawsuits and counterclaims, with Automattic alleging WP Engine “exploited the reputation, goodwill, and community trust” WordPress built over two decades, and WP Engine countering that Automattic’s claims were “baseless” and anticompetitive.

Currently, Automatic.CSS retains a disclaimer at the bottom of its site that says: “(not affiliated with Automattic).” It remains unclear if that will be enough to satisfy Automattic’s legal team, but the drama highlights the growing strain between WordPress’s open-source ideals and Automattic’s corporate enforcement.

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