In the latest chapter of the ongoing dispute between Automattic and WP Engine, a new plugin “Secure Custom Fields” (https://wordpress.org/plugins/secure-custom-fields/) has been added to the Plugin Repository by WordPress.org. This plugin has 90+ active installations and exhibits the features of ACF Pro plugin like repeater, flexible content, clone fields gallery, options pages, and ACF Blocks.
Last month, WordPress.org took over WP Engine’s ACF plugin, citing security issues, and renamed it Secure Custom Fields (https://wordpress.org/plugins/advanced-custom-fields/)
David McCan from WebTNG, has a detailed video analyzing the new plugin. He shares that the update check and license check functionality from ACF Pro has been removed. He remarked “This seems like a classic case of a null plugin which is now being hosted in the WordPress plug-in directory. So I’m wondering if this is even a legal Fork. I’m not an expert in software licensing law but my understanding is you need to preserve the original copyright notices when you fork a plugin. it’s one of the requirements.”
Prominent voices have weighed in on the controversy. Gergely Orosz of The Pragmatic Engineer newsletter tweeted, “Automattic – the creator of WordPress, a company raising $950M in VC funding – took a paid WordPress plugin built and owned by another dev and re-published it, making it free. If you have a business selling a paid WP plugin: Automattic can null it, anytime. Another new low.”
Duane Storey shared in X that ACF is now “an officially registered trademark of WP Engine.” He also said, “Sounds like what’s being put into the WordPress repository is basically a nulled version of ACF Pro without some of the copyrights. It’s clear Matt’s no longer a champion of any of the things he once said he was. I left a review. “
Tim Brugman, a Full-Stack Developer, pointed out, “A8c’s _new_ SCF plugin deactivates Advanced Custom Fields PRO when it is activated. An action that is not allowed by the dot org Plugin Handbook.”
Automattician Brandon Kraft, who submitted the plugin, addressed the issue on Mastodon, “The decisions on forking ACF or ACF Pro, etc., are above my paygrade, so to speak, but I didn’t refuse to work on it because I wanted to try to do it right/better.” He also shared, “I wasn’t involved in the forking the Pro code, but I just don’t see a notice. One item on my list is create a proper LICENSE.md that includes the GPL and ack past copyright…acknowledging it is built on existing work. If I missed the copyright already in the code, that’s an oversight on my part and not intentional.”
The Repository reported that a member of the WordPress Plugin Review Team, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that after Kraft submitted the ACF Pro fork, it was approved by another Automattic employee, bypassing the Plugin Review Team’s usual processes and checks.
The incident has sparked heated discussions on Reddit too. While the majority is against WordPress.org’s action, some support getting the pro features for free.
The preliminary injunction hearing for WP Engine vs Automattic is scheduled for later today.
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