WordPress.org Releases New ‘Secure Custom Fields’ Plugin With ACF Pro Features – WP Tavern

Within the newest chapter of the continuing dispute between Automattic and WP Engine, a brand new plugin “Safe Customized Fields” (https://wordpress.org/plugins/secure-custom-fields/) has been added to the Plugin Repository by WordPress.org. This plugin has 90+ energetic installations and reveals the options of ACF Professional plugin like repeater, versatile content material, clone fields gallery, choices pages, and ACF Blocks.

Final month, WordPress.org took over WP Engine’s ACF plugin, citing safety points, and renamed it Safe Customized Fields (https://wordpress.org/plugins/advanced-custom-fields/) 

David McCan from WebTNG, has an in depth video analyzing the brand new plugin. He shares that the replace verify and license verify performance from ACF Professional has been eliminated. He remarked “This looks like a traditional case of a null plugin which is now being hosted within the WordPress plug-in listing. So I’m questioning if that is even a authorized Fork. I’m not an skilled in software program licensing legislation however my understanding is you might want to protect the unique copyright notices whenever you fork a plugin. it’s one of many necessities.”

Outstanding voices have weighed in on the controversy. Gergely Orosz of The Pragmatic Engineer e-newsletter tweeted, “Automattic – the creator of WordPress, an organization elevating $950M in VC funding – took a paid WordPress plugin constructed and owned by one other dev and re-published it, making it free. When you have a enterprise promoting a paid WP plugin: Automattic can null it, anytime. One other new low.”

Duane Storey shared in X that ACF is now “an formally registered trademark of WP Engine.” He additionally said, “Feels like what’s being put into the WordPress repository is principally a nulled model of ACF Professional with out a few of the copyrights.  It’s clear Matt’s now not a champion of any of the issues he as soon as stated he was.  I left a evaluate. “

Tim Brugman, a Full-Stack Developer, pointed out, “A8c’s _new_ SCF plugin deactivates Superior Customized Fields PRO when it’s activated. An motion that’s not allowed by the dot org Plugin Handbook.”

Automattician Brandon Kraft, who submitted the plugin, addressed the difficulty on Mastodon, “The choices on forking ACF or ACF Professional, and so on., are above my paygrade, so to talk, however I didn’t refuse to work on it as a result of I wished to attempt to do it proper/higher.” He additionally shared, “I wasn’t concerned within the forking the Professional code, however I simply don’t see a discover. One merchandise on my checklist is create a correct LICENSE.md that features the GPL and ack previous copyright…acknowledging it’s constructed on current work. If I missed the copyright already within the code, that’s an oversight on my half and never intentional.”

The Repository reported {that a} member of the WordPress Plugin Evaluate Workforce, talking on the situation of anonymity, confirmed that after Kraft submitted the ACF Professional fork, it was permitted by one other Automattic worker, bypassing the Plugin Evaluate Workforce’s traditional processes and checks.

The incident has sparked heated discussions on Reddit too. Whereas the bulk is towards WordPress.org’s motion, some support getting the professional options without cost.

The preliminary injunction listening to for WP Engine vs Automattic is scheduled for later at the moment.