The Notepad++ development team has confirmed the resolution of a trademark infringement issue involving a third-party project that used the Notepad++ name and branding without authorization. As of May 5, 2026, the offending project has removed all references to the Notepad++ trademark from its product, website, and associated materials, effectively ending the infringement [https://notepad-plus-plus.org/news/clarify-npp-trademark-infringement/].
Overview
The clarification follows user concerns and incoming inquiries about potential confusion between the official Notepad++ project and an unrelated software product. The issue originated from a 2019 rebranding of a competing text editor, 'Notepad Pro,' which adopted visual and naming elements closely resembling those of Notepad++. Despite the similarity in branding, Notepad++ remains an open-source project licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), while the infringing product operated as a commercial offering without formal trademark registration.
Don Ho, lead developer of Notepad++, emphasized that while forks and ports of the codebase are welcome under the GPL, the use of the 'Notepad++' name and trademark requires explicit endorsement—which was not granted in this case. The removal of unauthorized trademark usage resolves the immediate legal and reputational risk.
What It Means for Forks and Ports
Ho reiterated a long-standing policy: derivative works based on Notepad++'s source code are permitted and even encouraged under the terms of the GPL. However, the use of the 'Notepad++' name, logo, or branding is strictly prohibited without official authorization. This distinction is critical for maintaining trust in the integrity of the original project.
Key points from Ho’s statement include:
- Forks and ports to other platforms (including macOS) are allowed and not considered problematic.
- The GPL license ensures user freedom and enables redistribution and modification of the code.
- Trademark endorsement is separate from licensing and is not granted to external projects.
- Unauthorized use of the Notepad++ name could lead to reputational damage, especially if a fork were to include malware or suffer from unpatched security flaws.
The team stresses that it cannot assume responsibility for the maintenance, security, or stability of any fork it does not actively manage. This includes potential risks such as backdoors, crashes, or vulnerabilities that might be falsely attributed to the main Notepad++ project.
Tradeoffs
While the open-source nature of Notepad++ promotes wide adoption and adaptation, the lack of trademark protection for derivative projects creates ongoing challenges in brand integrity. The resolution in this case was achieved through voluntary compliance rather than legal enforcement, underscoring the reliance on community cooperation.
Other open-source projects have faced similar issues when