6 ms·

He's completely unhinged. The threats that he made that are outlined in this document... how is this NOT extortion? Any lawyers around?

lolinder 2y ago
He claimed in an interview there's context to the texts that makes it look better, but he hasn't actually released that context, just said that it exists and he wishes WP Engine would [0]. I'm having a hard time imagining context that would make this not extortion, and if there really is context that makes it better I'm unsure why he's not releasing it himself. He's certainly not gone into no-comment-on-legal-matters mode, so his silence there speaks volumes to me. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUJgahHjAKU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUJgahHjAKU
- photomatt 2y ago
  What would you like me to answer? I haven't doxxed any private texts from other parties like they have. I've only been releasing things I've said or sent.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - aimazon 2y ago
    https://automattic.com/2024/10/01/wpe-terms/ https://automattic.com/2024/10/01/wpe-terms/ "May 2024 May 30: Automattic shares first term sheet with WP Engine via email." Share the term sheet that you sent to WPEngine in May. The lawsuit suggests that this term sheet is to do with a (now cancelled) partnership between WPEngine and Automattic in regards to WooCommerce. Your blog post suggests that it's a term sheet regarding WPEngine paying the 8% trademark fee for WordPress. You can significantly undermine WPEngine's argument by proving that you presented a WordPress trademark licensing term sheet to them months ago.
  - photomatt 2y ago
    Sure, it was a few text messages at the end of a months-long negotiation about a licensing deal. We posted the timeline and the final term sheet here: https://automattic.com/2024/10/01/wpe-terms/ https://automattic.com/2024/10/01/wpe-terms/ WP Engine's business is built on violating the WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks, 8% is typical for a franchise fee. They confuse customers in the marketplace who think they're official WordPress. If you watch this stream with Theo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUJgahHjAKU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUJgahHjAKU He polls his audience and 54% of the thousand people watching thought WP Engine was an official thing, based on visiting their website that day. They have since updated their website a lot, including rewriting customer testimonial quotes without permission: https://x.com/photomatt/status/1841644271939604628 https://x.com/photomatt/status/1841644271939604628
    - lolinder 2y ago
      If you offer someone a contract, they stall for a few months, and you show up at their house with gasoline and a match and threaten to burn their house down if they don't agree to sign the contract, you're guilty of extortion. The context you need to share isn't that there exists a document that you wanted to sign and that they knew existed before you made the threats, the context you need to share (Edit: in court, you should really shut up here for your own good) is context that makes those texts not look like threats to drag their name through the mud in a massive smear campaign if they didn't agree to sign. No one here is disputing that you might have been in the right until September. It's your actions in September that you need to account for.
      - nickff 2y ago
        >” If you offer someone a contract, they stall for a few months, and you show up at their house with gasoline and a match and threaten to burn their house down if they don't agree to sign the contract, you're guilty of extortion.” This analogy seems tangential, and I don’t think it supports the rest of your post.
        lolinder 2y ago
  - JimDabell 2y ago
    Didn’t you give their CEO’s phone number to somebody who interviewed you? That seems like a clear breach of privacy to me.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - FireBeyond 2y ago
    > I haven't doxxed any private texts from other parties like they have You did share their CEO's personal phone number to The Primagen though, did you not?
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

lolinder 2y ago

He claimed in an interview there's context to the texts that makes it look better, but he hasn't actually released that context, just said that it exists and he wishes WP Engine would [0]. I'm having a hard time imagining context that would make this not extortion, and if there really is context that makes it better I'm unsure why he's not releasing it himself. He's certainly not gone into no-comment-on-legal-matters mode, so his silence there speaks volumes to me. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUJgahHjAKU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUJgahHjAKU

photomatt 2y ago
What would you like me to answer? I haven't doxxed any private texts from other parties like they have. I've only been releasing things I've said or sent.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- aimazon 2y ago
  https://automattic.com/2024/10/01/wpe-terms/ https://automattic.com/2024/10/01/wpe-terms/ "May 2024 May 30: Automattic shares first term sheet with WP Engine via email." Share the term sheet that you sent to WPEngine in May. The lawsuit suggests that this term sheet is to do with a (now cancelled) partnership between WPEngine and Automattic in regards to WooCommerce. Your blog post suggests that it's a term sheet regarding WPEngine paying the 8% trademark fee for WordPress. You can significantly undermine WPEngine's argument by proving that you presented a WordPress trademark licensing term sheet to them months ago.
- photomatt 2y ago
  Sure, it was a few text messages at the end of a months-long negotiation about a licensing deal. We posted the timeline and the final term sheet here: https://automattic.com/2024/10/01/wpe-terms/ https://automattic.com/2024/10/01/wpe-terms/ WP Engine's business is built on violating the WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks, 8% is typical for a franchise fee. They confuse customers in the marketplace who think they're official WordPress. If you watch this stream with Theo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUJgahHjAKU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUJgahHjAKU He polls his audience and 54% of the thousand people watching thought WP Engine was an official thing, based on visiting their website that day. They have since updated their website a lot, including rewriting customer testimonial quotes without permission: https://x.com/photomatt/status/1841644271939604628 https://x.com/photomatt/status/1841644271939604628
  - lolinder 2y ago
    If you offer someone a contract, they stall for a few months, and you show up at their house with gasoline and a match and threaten to burn their house down if they don't agree to sign the contract, you're guilty of extortion. The context you need to share isn't that there exists a document that you wanted to sign and that they knew existed before you made the threats, the context you need to share (Edit: in court, you should really shut up here for your own good) is context that makes those texts not look like threats to drag their name through the mud in a massive smear campaign if they didn't agree to sign. No one here is disputing that you might have been in the right until September. It's your actions in September that you need to account for.
    - nickff 2y ago
      >” If you offer someone a contract, they stall for a few months, and you show up at their house with gasoline and a match and threaten to burn their house down if they don't agree to sign the contract, you're guilty of extortion.” This analogy seems tangential, and I don’t think it supports the rest of your post.
      - lolinder 2y ago
- JimDabell 2y ago
  Didn’t you give their CEO’s phone number to somebody who interviewed you? That seems like a clear breach of privacy to me.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- FireBeyond 2y ago
  > I haven't doxxed any private texts from other parties like they have You did share their CEO's personal phone number to The Primagen though, did you not?

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]