Trademark Violation: Fake Notepad++ for Mac

2026-05-01

Several users have recently reported a website pretending to offer an official macOS version of Notepad++:
notepad-plus-plus-mac.org

Let me be blunt:
This site has absolutely nothing to do with Notepad++.
It’s not authorized, not endorsed, and not affiliated with the project in any way.

The owner is using the Notepad++ trademark (the name) without permission;

and even goes as far as placing my name and biography on the site to make it look legitimate.

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.

To be crystal clear:
Notepad++ has never released a macOS version.
Anyone claiming otherwise is simply riding on the Notepad++ name.

As mentioned in my GitHub post, I have already contacted the owner of the fake “official” website, and I am still waiting for a reply.

In the meantime, if you see someone posting “Notepad++ is finally on Mac!” on Reddit, Twitter, Mastodon, Discord, StackOverflow, or any tech blogs/forums, please reply with:
“This is not an official Notepad++ release. It’s an unauthorized project misusing the Notepad++ trademark.”, and include a link to this announcement.

Thank you to the users who raised the alarm. Your vigilance helps protect the project from people who think they can borrow the Notepad++ identity as they please.

– Don Ho