Re:Mullenweg threatens corporate takeover of WP Engine
by kemayo on Tuesday October 01, 2024 @07:41PM
(#41715626)
It might be sketchy, but WooCommerce is a GPL project: https://github.com/woocommerce/woocommerce/blob/trunk/plugin...
This is explicitly the sort of thing that WP Engine would be allowed to do, and if Automattic isn't happy about this then perhaps they should have chosen non-free licenses.
Basically: "wire fraud" is an extremely overblown claim. Nothing criminal is happening here, because they're complying with the license. Is it ethical? Debatable.
Re:Mullenweg threatens corporate takeover of WP Engine
by chuckadams on Tuesday October 01, 2024 @08:00PM
(#41715779)
WPE does not touch WooCommerce in any way. WooCommerce is a plugin that is itself extended through more plugins, including ones for working with payment providers such as Stripe. WPE makes a Stripe payment plugin that works with multiple eCommerce setups, including WooCommerce. WPE's plugin naturally uses WPE's affiliate code.
Matt cannot stand competition, that's all.
Re:Mullenweg threatens corporate takeover of WP Engine
by Terretta on Tuesday October 01, 2024 @08:16PM
(#41715885)
Thanks — this makes more sense than the article's phrasing.
Re:Mullenweg threatens corporate takeover of WP Engine
by djbusby on Tuesday October 01, 2024 @07:39PM
(#41715600)
Or at least misleading the consumer - which is also not cool.
Re:Mullenweg threatens corporate takeover of WP Engine
by threeseed on Tuesday October 01, 2024 @07:39PM
(#41715601)
That is completely legal and ethical.
WooCommerce is an open source, GPL project which allows people to modify the code in any way, including changing Stripe details, provided that they comply with the terms of the license.
Licenses are a fundamental part of open source precisely so that in situations like this everyone knows the rules of the game.
By contrast, this doesn't make WPE look good:
WP Engine had been siphoning “tens of millions” of dollars away from Woo’s revenue share partnership with Stripe into its own coffers. It’s understood WP Engine has been swapping out WooCommerce’s Stripe Connect Account information for its own when a user installs WooCommerce.
That's the sort of thing that, if a proven problem, could seem less like a shakedown and more like active wire fraud.
EDIT: As replies note, GPL. OK, but I realize I grew up thinking if someone gives me software it isn't to rip out their revenue model and replace it with mine, it is for me to do my own value added thing with it. Meaning, the stealth edit might not be wrong, but still seems uncool.