As its name suggests, the venerable Notepad++ text editor started out as a more capable version of the classic Windows Notepad, with features like line numbering and syntax highlighting. It was created in 2003 by Don Ho, who remains its primary author and maintainer, and has been a Windows-exclusive app throughout its existence (older Notepad++ versions support OSes as old as Windows 95; the current version officially supports everything going back to Windows 7).
I’m not a dedicated user of the app, but I was aware of its history, which is why I was surprised to see news of a “Notepad++ for Mac” port last week, as if it were a port of the original available on the Notepad++ website.
Apparently, the news surprised even Ho, who claims that the Mac version and its author, Andrey Letov, are “using the Notepad++ trademark (name) without permission.”
“This is misleading, unfair, and frankly insulting to both the project and its users,” Ho wrote. “It has already fooled people – including the tech media – into believing that this is an official release. To be absolutely clear: Notepad++ has never released a macOS version. Anyone claiming otherwise is merely riding on the Notepad++ name.”
moving back and forth
Further communication between Ho and Letov can be found in the Notepad++ GitHub thread, where Ho said that Letov contacted him before the Notepad++ for Mac app launched, but he did not have time to respond.
“The problem is that using the official name Notepad++ and its logo gives the impression that your project is an official macOS version maintained or supported by the Notepad++ team, which is not the case,” wrote Ho in an email to Letov, which he reposted on GitHub. “This creation [sic] Creates confusion for users and exposes both you and the project to trademark issues.”
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