The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has refused the WordPress Foundation’s applications to register the marks “Hosted WordPress” and “Managed WordPress” in the United States.
In the Final Office Actions issued on August 22, 2025, the USPTO cited three issues: the need to disclaim the descriptive terms “Hosted” and “Managed,” clarification of the goods and services descriptions, and submission of an acceptable domicile address.
Request for Reconsideration Filed by WordPress Foundation
On August 25, 2025, the WordPress Foundation responded by filing “ Requests for Reconsideration” for both applications. In the filing, the following changes were made:
- Entered disclaimers for the words “Hosted” and “Managed”
- Revised the goods/services descriptions
- Updated the address to 166 Crosby Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10012, which is the address of Automattic’s New York office.
The Foundation has already secured trademark rights for “Managed WordPress” and “Hosted WordPress” in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the European Union. In Canada, the application remains under examination, while in New Zealand, the trademark applications have entered the opposition period, where they are being opposed by WP Engine.
The WordPress Foundation’s efforts to enforce trademark rights over the terms “Managed WordPress” and “Hosted WordPress” can be traced back to Matt Mullenweg’s keynote address at WordCamp US 2024.