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Festinger Vault Returns After Settling Legal Dispute with Automattic

Festinger Vault’s founder Martin Groot says the controversial GPL club is “back and better than ever.”

Festinger Vault is “back and better than ever,” according to founder Martin Groot, who announced on Monday that he has settled his legal dispute with Automattic.

In an announcement on the Festinger Vault site — and in an unsolicited email sent widely across the WordPress community — Groot said he wouldn’t be disclosing any details about the settlement but added that he had removed all Woo and WordPress trademarks and products created by Automattic from his platform.

“We will not disclose any further details about the settlement, as we are committed to respecting the confidentiality of all related matters,” Groot said. “What matters now is that we’re moving forward with a renewed focus and a fresh perspective, ready to offer you an even better experience.”

The site, which offers access to more than 25,000 nulled premium plugins and themes under the General Public License (GPL), has long been controversial in the WordPress ecosystem. Critics argue that GPL clubs like Festinger Vault profit off the hard work of developers, even though reselling GPL-licensed software is allowed under the license’s terms.

WordPress community members expressed disappointment in the Post Status Slack this week that Automattic didn’t fight the case further. Some argued that Festinger Vault’s return harms small business owners who lack the resources to pursue legal action when their products appear in GPL clubs. Others felt Automattic should have done more to protect them.

The Repository contacted Automattic and Groot for comment but didn’t hear back.

Groot, however, is focused on what’s next. Since Festinger Vault was taken down last September, he says he has completely rebuilt the platform, redesigning both the website and the community. He also teased a new Festinger Vault plugin that will soon offer white-label functionality.

“Every platform part has been redesigned to ensure a faster, more reliable, and user-friendly experience,” he said in his announcement. “Your continued support and trust in Festinger Vault mean everything to me and my team. We’ve worked hard to create something better for you, and we can’t wait for you to experience the new and improved platform.”

The dispute between Festinger Vault and Automattic started last September when Automattic accused Groot of trademark infringement and GPL non-compliance. The company moved swiftly, securing a court order to shut the site down and successfully petitioning the Amsterdam District Court to seize Groot’s personal assets—including his car, bank accounts, and half of his home ownership.

Groot responded by filing legal action. At a hearing on October 2, Automattic argued that Festinger Vault had violated both the WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks and breached GPLv2. The WordPress Foundation also submitted a statement describing Festinger Vault as a “rogue actor” that had harassed the WordPress community for several years.

“Countless scores of WordPress community members have been subjected to repeated unsolicited spam messages from [Festinger Vault] via email, Slack, and other platforms. [Festinger Vault] appears to disregard laws governing unsolicited communications,” the foundation said in its statement to the court.

A key turning point came when the court found that Automattic may have violated its Duty of Truthfulness and Duty of Completeness under Dutch law. The issue stemmed from Automattic’s failure to disclose a September 29 interview in which CEO Matt Mullenweg spoke with YouTuber Theo Browne about trademark enforcement.

In the interview—reviewed by the court after the hearing—Mullenweg described Festinger Vault’s activities as “not illegal” and “legal under the GPL.” He also acknowledged that Automattic “was able to use the trademark basically to shut them down.”

The court’s summary judgment following the hearing noted that Mullenweg’s interpretation of the GPL shed “a different light on the case” than Automattic had outlined in its petition, statement of defense, and arguments in court. The judgment also pointed out that half of Automattic’s 30-page legal response focused on GPL-related claims, while only five pages addressed the trademark dispute. As a result, the court ordered Automattic to lift the freeze on Groot’s bank accounts and pay his legal costs.

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