Cease & Desist Letter

When to use this template

• The infringer is identifiable and reachable — a business with a contact address, not an anonymous storefront
• You want a documented notice trail before escalating to litigation or account-level platform action
• Skip it for anonymous overseas operations — platform and infrastructure takedowns work better there

[YOUR LETTERHEAD / NAME AND ADDRESS]

[DATE]

VIA EMAIL AND CERTIFIED MAIL
[INFRINGER NAME / COMPANY]
[ADDRESS / EMAIL]

RE: CEASE AND DESIST — INFRINGEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

To [NAME / "Whom It May Concern"]:

We are [COMPANY], the owner of [IDENTIFY RIGHTS — e.g., "the registered trademark [MARK] (Reg. No. [NUMBER]) and the copyrighted product photography and designs associated with our [PRODUCT LINE]"].

It has come to our attention that you are [DESCRIBE THE CONDUCT — e.g., "manufacturing, advertising, and selling counterfeit versions of our products, including through the following listings and channels"]:

- [URL / LISTING / CHANNEL 1]
- [URL / LISTING / CHANNEL 2]

This conduct constitutes [trademark infringement under the Lanham Act / copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. § 501 / unfair competition], causing damage to our business and deceiving consumers.

WE HEREBY DEMAND THAT, WITHIN [10] DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS LETTER, YOU:

1. Immediately cease all manufacture, marketing, and sale of the infringing products;
2. Remove all listings, advertisements, and content identified above, and any others using our intellectual property;
3. Provide written confirmation of your compliance;
4. Disclose your remaining inventory of infringing product and its source; and
5. Preserve all records relating to the manufacture, purchase, and sale of the infringing products.

If you fail to comply, we are prepared to pursue all available remedies, including platform enforcement actions, seizure of infringing goods where available, and litigation seeking injunctive relief, damages, and attorneys' fees.

This letter is written without prejudice to our rights and remedies, all of which are expressly reserved.

Sincerely,

[NAME, TITLE]
[COMPANY]
[CONTACT INFORMATION]

Replace every [BRACKETED] placeholder and delete sections that don't apply. This is a template, not legal advice.

How to use it

1. 1

   Verify the target first

   Confirm the recipient actually controls the infringing operation — WHOIS records, business registries, marketplace seller profiles. A C&D to the wrong party is wasted leverage.

2. 2

   Send by trackable channels

   Email plus certified mail (or courier) creates delivery proof. The documented notice date is the letter's main legal value.

3. 3

   File platform takedowns in parallel

   Don't wait for a response to act — the letter and the takedowns reinforce each other. If they comply, great; if not, the ignored demand strengthens every subsequent action.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Cease and desist letters explained
• DMCA vs trademark complaints
• Payment processor takedown guides