Notepad++ creator Don Ho is threatening legal action against developer Andrey Letov for using the official trademark and branding to promote an unauthorized macOS port of the text editor.

Key Points

• Don Ho, the original developer of Notepad++, is demanding the immediate removal of a third-party macOS port website for trademark infringement.
• The project, created by Andrey Letov, used the official Notepad++ logo, a near-identical domain name, and implied an affiliation with Ho.
• While the software is open-source under the GPL, Ho maintains that the unauthorized use of branding misleads users and poses potential security and reputation risks.
• Letov has pledged to rebrand the project, but Ho has rejected a requested two-week transition period and reported the site to Cloudflare.
• Ho confirmed he is not collaborating with Letov on any rebranding efforts and intends to pursue legal steps to protect the Notepad++ trademark.

Why it Matters

This dispute highlights the tension between open-source software freedoms and the protection of intellectual property and brand identity. It serves as a warning to developers that while code may be freely forkable, using established trademarks to imply official endorsement can lead to significant legal consequences.