Cease and Desist Letter
Quick answer
A formal demand, usually from a rights holder or their attorney, that a party stop an infringing activity or face legal action.
Cease-and-desist letters precede or accompany platform takedowns when the infringer is identifiable and worth deterring directly — repeat counterfeiters, ex-partners, competitors. They carry no inherent legal force but establish notice, which strengthens later willfulness claims in court.