After 22 years, Rick Brewster owns paint.net. The creator of the popular free image editor announced the acquisition on Bluesky, revealing it was a 'slam dunk case of trademark infringement' that finally ended the standoff with the domain's previous holders. The win secures a critical piece of his brand's digital infrastructure.
\n\nHe didn't buy it. He won it.
\n\nFor over two decades, the namesake domain redirected to a blank page—or worse, a potential phishing surface. Meanwhile, Brewster poured work into a fallback, getpaint.net, that always felt a beat off. The gap between a software's name and its digital address is normally harmless. Here, it was a 22-year open wound.
This is the story of how that wound finally closed.
\n\nThe Orphan Domain Problem
\n\nPaint.NET is one of the best free tools on the internet. As PC Gamer notes, it's a 'Photoshop-like program that comes with much of the functionality of Adobe's software' while being 'more user-friendly than similar tools like GIMP.' Since 2004, millions have downloaded it. (It turns out, building a loyal userbase is easier than owning your own name on the internet.)
\n\nDespite its success, a fundamental problem persisted: you could not download Paint.NET from paint.net. The domain was held by parties unaffiliated with Brewster. He had to direct traffic to getpaint.net—a functional workaround, but one that diluted the brand and created confusion. The gap was a constant vector for typosquatting and brand erosion.
Entity: Domain typosquatting. Mechanism: Registration by a non-trademark holder to capture misdirected traffic or hold the domain hostage. Outcome: Stolen user base, support headaches, legal costs for the trademark holder.
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The 'Slam Dunk' Mechanism: How Trademark Law Won the Day
\n\nBrewster's announcement on Bluesky was exuberant: 'I GOT THE DOMAIN! I FINALLY GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!1 🥳🎉 Paint.NET.' In the follow-up thread he described the event as 'A big fucking deal' and summarized the barrier: 'The previous owners would not sell. And/or they wanted lots and lots of money.'
\n\nThis is where the mechanism matters. A domain speculator can sit on a name indefinitely. The only remedy is legal—specifically, the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) or the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP).
\n\nBrewster characterized his case as a 'slam dunk case of trademark infringement.' Here's why:
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- Identical or Confusingly Similar:
paint.netis nearly identical to the trademark 'Paint.NET.' \n - No Legitimate Interest: The domain holders did not use it for a bona fide offering of goods or services. \n
- Bad Faith Registration: Holding a namesake domain for 22 years, refusing reasonable offers and refusing to develop it, constitutes passive holding in bad faith. \n
Once the legal framework was engaged, the outcome was inevitable. The domain was forced into transfer. 22 years of 'no.' Case closed.
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Decision Archaeology: Why Buying It Back Was Never the Real Option
\n\nThe conventional wisdom around domain disputes is that everything has a price. The flaw here is assuming the seller has any incentive to sell at a fair market rate.
\n\nBrewster confirmed the two dead ends: outright refusal and an asking price that was 'lots and lots of money.' In the world of domain investing, if a holder knows the trademark owner needs the name, the price can spiral into the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. There is no arbitration for 'too expensive.'
\n\nThe only winning move was to change the game. Instead of a purchase negotiation, Brewster invoked trademark enforcement. This transformed the domain from an asset into a liability for the holder. The law, not the market, set the terms.
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What This Means for Paint.NET Users
\n\nPractically speaking, very little changes today. The software remains hosted at getpaint.net. Brewster has not announced an immediate migration plan.
Long term, the implications are significant:
\n\n- \n
- Brand Cohesion: The trademark and the domain now align. No more explaining why the website doesn't match the software name. \n
- Security: Typosquatters and phishing sites relying on the
paint.netgap lose their primary vector. \n - Redirect Potential: Brewster can set up a simple 301 redirect, or eventually host the entire project on
paint.net. \n
Entity: DNS redirect. Mechanism: 301 permanent redirect from paint.net
