Rick Brewster Wins Paint.net Domain After 22-Year Fight, Ending GetPaint.net Detour
Updated
Updated · XDA Developers · May 31
Rick Brewster Wins Paint.net Domain After 22-Year Fight, Ending GetPaint.net Detour
4 articles · Updated · XDA Developers · May 31
Rick Brewster said he has secured Paint.net after a 22-year battle, allowing the image editor’s main site to move from GetPaint.net to the exact-match domain.
December 2025 proved decisive when the previous owners redesigned Paint.net to mimic the app’s download page, monetizing Brewster’s work with ads and bad links.
That redesign let Brewster pursue copyright infringement and anti-squatting claims; with a lawyer’s help, he won control of the domain.
Paint.net is now being migrated to the new address, while GetPaint.net will remain as a redirect so 22 years of existing links keep working.
What are the hidden costs for a brand during a two-decade-long fight for its own domain name?
Why can a legal dispute, described as a 'slam dunk case,' still take 22 years to resolve?