Notepad++ Creator Slams AI-Generated Mac Port for 'Impersonating' the Official App

Notepad++ is in the news again, though it's more of a mixed bag than its last report. In short, an unlicensed Mac OS port was released for Notepad++, which is usually Windows and Linux-exclusive. In addition, this particular Mac OS port is now rebranded to Nextpad++ after legal action and a firm warning from the original Notepad++ developer, who was listed on the author page, and did not appreciate his name and branding being used without his permission. The port, for what it's worth, is at least functional and is indeed a native Mac OS port, but in addition to the controversy around its release, its creation also involves heavy use of "multi-agent AI development workflows," a move the original creator Don Ho heavily criticizes in a related GitHub thread.


While the unlicensed port and blatant copyright infringement definitely isn't good for Notepad++, this story is at least less dramatic than the last few Notepad++ headline appearances. For example, a period in late 2025 saw official Notepad++ update channels used to push malware, and an outright imposter site had to be taken down in 2024. That said, this story does still echo those in interesting ways. As an unlicensed port that could be sold off or in the long run prove to be in untrustworthy hands, the possibility of malware in future updates is there and obviously, so is the brand impersonation.

The official Notepad++ blog post on the matter is very revealing regarding how the relationship between the developers involved has progressed, with Nextpad++ developer Andrey Letov being very slow to make suggested branded changes and not advertise his port as an official branch. At time of writing, the domain has changed, but a new rebranded version of the software has yet to be released, with the official download button noting that it "will be available after Branding Issues are resolved."