Cease and desist letter
- Acts as a deterrent to others from breaching your IP
- Customisable to your business
- Covers a variety of IP breaches
Use this cease and desist letter template if you believe someone is infringing your intellectual property (your trade marks, registered or unregistered designs, patent, or copyright) and you want to ask them to stop.
Although a cease and desist letter has no legal force, it can cause the recipient to stop the infringing behaviour, especially if they did not know they were breaching your intellectual property rights.
By sending this cease and desist letter, you clearly explain what rights you believe are being breached and what actions you want the recipient to take.
Writing to the person who is breaching your intellectual property in a calm and reasonable way can help to minimise the risk of having to take costly and lengthy legal action.
Q&A
When should I use this document?
You should use this cease and desist letter if you believe someone is infringing your intellectual property. For example, you may have discovered that a website's branding looks identical to yours, or that another company's product is using the same technology that you have patented.
It is illegal to make unjustified threats in a cease and desist letter, so you need to make sure the person is actually breaching your intellectual property rights before you threaten action against them.
If you are unsure about whether someone is breaching your intellectual property rights, you should seek legal advice. You can access a specialist lawyer in a few simple steps using our Ask a Lawyer service.
What does this document cover?
This cease and desist letter template sets out:
- who your business is;
- what intellectual property your business owns;
- why you believe the recipient is infringing your intellectual property; and
- what actions you require the recipient to take, and by when.
You can refer to multiple types of intellectual property in the letter.
Why do I need this document?
This cease and desist letter acts as a powerful deterrent to others from breaching your intellectual property. It tells them that you are aware of their breach and that you would like to resolve the situation in an amicable manner.
By writing to the person you believe is breaching your intellectual property, you provide them with the opportunity to agree to stop using your intellectual property without resorting to costly and time consuming legal action.
Where can I find out more?
You can find further guidance on dealing with disputes around intellectual property, including how to send or respond to a cease and desist letter, at Disputes about intellectual property.
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