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Notepad++ Creator Calls Out 'Fake' Mac App Over Trademark Violation

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Notepad++ creator Don Ho said the macOS version of the popular Windows code editor is fake and using the Notepad++ trademark without permission.

Notepad++The unofficial Notepad++ app for macOS

In a blog post, Ho said the macOS app is "not authorized, not endorsed, and not affiliated with" the official version of Notepad++ in any way, adding that it is "misleading, inappropriate, and frankly disrespectful to both the project and its users."

In coordination with Ho, the developer of the macOS port Andrey Letov said he will rebrand the Mac app and its corresponding website in the coming days:

In coordination with Don Ho, the creator of the original Notepad++, I'll be evolving the branding of the macOS version so it stands on its own while respecting its lineage. These updates, such as a new logo, a refined name, and likely a new domain will ship with version 1.0.6 in the coming days. Continuity for existing users is a priority, and I'll make the transition as seamless as I can. Thank you for your patience.

Notepad++ is a popular open-source text and code editor available on Windows, and many users have long hoped for a Mac version. It appears the unofficial port will live on for now, but with a new name and branding.

Emphasis on unofficial.

"To be crystal clear: Notepad++ has never released a macOS version," said Ho.

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Top Rated Comments

dontwalkhand Avatar
dontwalkhand
17 hours ago at 09:52 am
The solution to this…..why doesn’t he just release a MacOS version?
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ItsASpider Avatar
ItsASpider
17 hours ago at 09:54 am
From reading that GitHub issue, this is genuinely starting to look like some bad faith behavior by Letov. It doesn't take "weeks" to remove the clear trademark violation from your personal project, and he only appears to be interested in making excuses instead of even bothering to apologize. Even the announcement quoted in this article starts off trying to apply a relation where there is none ("coordination with Don Ho" is a strange way to describe someone saying "hey stop using my trademark"). No, this guy was clearly trying to just use the name to get his project out there and to surf on the success of Notepad++ with no intention to "strengthen the brand".
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KENESS Avatar
KENESS
17 hours ago at 10:02 am
"In coordination with Don Ho, the creator of the original Notepad++"

"I'll be evolving the branding"

"I'll make the transition"

This kind of verbal spew makes me sick. You did something blatantly wrong. If you have any hint of character, apologize.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S
Scipster
16 hours ago at 10:11 am
The program shouldn't have infringed on the Notepad++ trademark. It should have been named Notepad+++, and the pro version (subscription only, of course) should be called Notepad++++.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
con2apple Avatar
con2apple
17 hours ago at 10:04 am

The solution to this…..why doesn’t he just release a MacOS version?
Maybe because he's just a small-time developer who doesn't have the manpower to manage half a dozen macOS systems on top of Windows?

Just a thought.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
L
LogicalApex
16 hours ago at 10:17 am

The solution to this…..why doesn’t he just release a MacOS version?
Ports aren't easy. They require work both to release and to maintain.

The issue here isn't that another developer decided to take up the work. The issue is that it was attached to the Notepad++ brand without first confirming that was OK with the Notepad++ maintainers. The right way to handle this would be to have released it as a port with a new name and note that it is a fork of Notepad++ for Windows.

Forks are within the spirit of OSS...

The issue for users though. If the developer of the Mac port was this shady with the branding of the port. Can he be trusted in general.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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