The WP Community Collective is now known as The WP Open Community Collective (WPOCC), after CEO Sé Reed discovered a pending U.S. trademark application for the acronym “WPCC” filed by the WordPress Foundation. The organization announced the change on July 23, 2026.
The trademark application was preceded by earlier concerns about the similarity of the names
The acronym “WPCC” is also used by WordPress Campus Connect, an initiative that introduces WordPress to college students. Its inaugural session was held in October 2024 across four colleges in Ajmer, Rajasthan, and the initiative was recognized as an official event in May 2025.
The WP Community Collective had already faced concerns about the similarity between its name and that of WordPress Community Support (WPCS). In an email dated December 19, 2024, a representative of WordPress Community Support contacted the WP Community Collective after noticing that the organization had incorporated as a nonprofit entity in California. The representative raised concerns that the similarity between “WordPress Community Support (WPCS)” and “WP Community Collective (WPCC)” could cause confusion and asked whether the organization would consider changing its name.
In response, Reed said the WP Community Collective had been founded in 2022 and that its formal incorporation marked an important milestone for the organization.
The Collective said it did not believe the two organizations were likely to be confused. It also said it did not use “WordPress” in its name, branding, or project titles and had no plans to make further changes to its name at the time. As a measure intended to provide additional clarity, the organization added a disclaimer to its website stating that it was not affiliated with the WordPress Foundation or the WordPress open source project.
The WordPress Foundation filed its application for the “WPCC” mark on May 13, 2025, under International Class 041, with a Section 1(b) filing basis. It seeks protection for the mark in connection with educational services, specifically classes, seminars, conferences, and workshops focused on website development, information technology, and technology.
The USPTO issued a Notice of Allowance for the application on April 7, 2026. The notice states that no opposition was filed against the published application. The application remains pending, and the WordPress Foundation has until October 7, 2026, to file a Statement of Use or request an extension of time before the application can proceed toward registration.
Reed came to know about the application on July 2, 2026. Although no “notification, dispute, or claim” had been made against the WP Community Collective in connection with the application, the board decided to take a proactive approach.
Reed said the decision was intended to avoid a potential dispute and prevent further conflict within the WordPress community.
“We’d rather make this change now, on our own terms, than wait for a problem we can clearly see coming,” said Reed. “The WordPress community doesn’t need any more conflict. That’s not the kind of contribution we support.”
The WP Community Collective was founded in December 2022 and incorporated as an independent, member-based organization in November 2024. Although the board discussed adopting a name that more clearly reflected its wider focus at the time of incorporation, it retained its original name.
The organization said its mission, programming, membership, and leadership remain unchanged. The update applies to its branding and communications, including its website and social media accounts, while its formal name and legal documentation remain unchanged.
Reed said the new name reflects the organization’s roots in WordPress and its connection to the broader open source community, “Our roots are in WordPress, but the people and principles of open source, and the challenges facing both, extend beyond any single project. Now it is clearer that the WPOCC does too.”
“We all collectively chose this project and this community, but this evolution allows us to reflect the Collective’s intent to work in the open, as well as our aspirations towards Open Source stewardship broadly,” said Chris Reynolds, Interim President of the WPOCC Board of Directors.
The announcement follows the organization’s first State of the Community survey, which examined sentiment across the WordPress ecosystem, the impact of artificial intelligence, open source sustainability, and community participation. The organization said the findings will be published in a report expected in early August.