Trademark violation: Why the Notepad++ developer sees red with the Mac version

The port of the popular Windows text editor Notepad++ for Mac is to get a new name and logo. Developer Andrey Letov announced this on the project's website. The announcement followed a blog post by the Windows version's developer, Don Ho, who spoke of trademark infringement and a fake. Letov claims that the upcoming change of name, logo, and domain is being done in consultation with Ho. Ho himself has not commented further so far.

“I'll be evolving the branding of the macOS version so it stands on its own while respecting its lineage,” Letov writes in an announcement. The changes are to be introduced in the coming days with version 1.0.6 of the text editor. Ho and other angry users had demanded on Ho's GitHub page that the name be changed immediately. The future name is not yet known. “Continuity for existing users is a priority, and I'll make the transition as seamless as I can,” says Letov.

Mac port based on open-source code

The project “Notepad++ for Mac” was launched by Letov on March 10, 2026. The first public version (v1.0.0) was released on April 7, 2026. Since then, there have been several updates that aim to improve the Mac version and keep pace with the developments of the Windows version. The Mac editor was developed based on the source code published by Ho, which was released under the GNU General Public License v3. This open-source license allows, among other things, the use of the software for any purpose and the distribution of modifications, provided that the same license conditions apply.

Of course, the license does not apply to the editor's name, which is a registered trademark of Ho. This and the appearance of the website did not go down well with the Parisian developer. “This site has absolutely nothing to do with Notepad++. It’s not authorized, not endorsed, and not affiliated with the project in any way,” he clarified. He also expressed his anger that the mention of his name and biography gives the project an official air. “This is misleading, inappropriate, and frankly disrespectful to both the project and its users. It has already fooled people - including tech media - into believing this is an official release.”

Why Don Ho doesn't want to support

Ho justifies his reservations against the use of the brand name by stating, among other things, that he cannot ensure that, for example, the Mac port contains neither malware nor a backdoor. He also doesn't have time to review the code and ensure this. Furthermore, it could be confusing for users of the Windows editor if the Mac variant does not keep up with the functions and differs.

(mki)