Cease and Desist Letter
A firm, polite letter that tells someone to stop, sets out the facts and your position, lists what you require by a deadline and reserves your rights. For intellectual property, false statements, breach of contract or harassment.
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Country versions
- International
- United States *
- United Kingdom *
- Korea *
- Japan *
- Germany *
* check with local advice
A template, not advice.
Read more
What it is
A cease and desist letter is a written demand that someone stop doing something that affects you: using your trademark or photographs without permission, spreading false statements about you, breaking a contract with you, or contacting you after being asked to stop. It is not a court order and has no force of its own. Its job is practical: it states the facts as you understand them, names the right you rely on, tells the other side exactly what you want and by when, and creates a record that they were told. Courts and mediators often look at that record later.
This template builds the letter in four steps. You choose the reason for the letter and the matching wording is added: a statement of your position and a numbered list of demands. You describe what happened in your own words and list the evidence you enclose. The deadline is counted for you from the date of the letter. Optional paragraphs ask the other side to preserve evidence, say that you will consider the steps the law allows, and reserve your rights. The tone is firm and polite and never threatens more than the law allows. The country versions follow local custom: certified-content mail in Korea and Japan, the pre-action approach in the UK, and in Germany the Abmahnung with a model undertaking.
When to use it
- Someone is using your trademark, text, photographs or designs without permission and you want them to stop before you escalate.
- False statements about you or your business are online and you want them removed.
- A contract partner is breaking a confidentiality, exclusivity or similar clause.
- Contact or messages continue after you asked the person to stop.
- You want a dated record that the other side was told.
How to fill it in
- Enter your details and the recipient's. Your own details come from your saved information.
- Choose the reason for the letter and fill in the field that appears: the right you rely on, the statements, or the agreement.
- Describe what happened with dates and links, and list the evidence you enclose.
- Set the number of days to comply and decide whether to ask for preservation of evidence and to reserve your rights.
- Pick the country and the way of sending it, read that country's notes, and have a lawyer read the letter before it goes.
Common mistakes
- Sending an angry letter. Keep it factual, firm and short enough to be read to the end.
- Claiming a right you cannot show, or demanding more than you are entitled to.
- Setting no deadline, or one so short that it looks unreasonable.
- Threatening steps you will not or may not lawfully take. In some countries a threat about intellectual property can itself be a problem.
- Sending it without proof of delivery, or without keeping a copy and your evidence.
Steps at a glance
- Fill in
- Check the preview
- Save as PDF, Word or Excel
Country versions
Pick the country you need. Each version uses the wording and layout commonly found there; a version marked “check with local advice” should be read by someone who knows the local rules before it is used.
- International (XX): Written in English, Korean, Japanese, German
- United States (US): Written in English – check with local advice
- United Kingdom (GB): Written in English – check with local advice
- Korea (KR): Written in Korean, English – check with local advice
- Japan (JP): Written in Japanese, English – check with local advice
- Germany (DE): Written in German, English – check with local advice
Designs
The same form in several designs. The fields and the wording stay the same; only the look changes.
- Classic
- Modern
- Minimal
- Warm
- Plain (black and white)
- Formal
- Side band
- Banner
- Executive
- Ledger
- Compact
- Boxed form
Your details fill it in
Fields that ask for your name, address or company details are filled from My details, so you do not type them again; you can still change any field for one form. Signed in, your details stay in your account; otherwise they stay in this browser only. A passport, identity or social security number is never saved.
Questions
- Do I need a lawyer to send a cease and desist letter?
- You can send one yourself, and this template is meant to help you do that. But the letter can affect later court proceedings and some countries have special rules, so we recommend that a lawyer reads it first, especially for intellectual property or defamation.
- What happens if the other side ignores it?
- Nothing happens automatically. The letter is a demand, not an order. You then decide whether to follow up, negotiate, report the matter to a platform or authority, or ask a court for an order. The letter helps show that you gave notice.
- How long should the deadline be?
- Long enough to be fair and short enough to matter. Seven to fourteen days is common for simple matters; urgent cases may be shorter and complex ones longer. A deadline that looks unreasonable can weaken your position.
- Can I send it by email only?
- You can, and for a first approach many people do. If the matter could go to court, also send it in a way that proves delivery, such as registered or certified mail, and keep the proof.
- How is this different from a takedown notice?
- A takedown notice goes to the website or platform that hosts the material and follows the platform's or the law's own procedure. A cease and desist letter goes to the person responsible. They are often used together.
- Is this form legal, tax or accounting advice?
- No. It is a template: it gives you the usual structure and wording, not advice. Rules differ by country and case, so have someone qualified read anything that matters before you sign, send or file it.
- Which countries and designs does it come in?
- It comes in 6 country versions: International, United States, United Kingdom, Korea, Japan, and Germany. 12 designs.
A form is a template, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules differ by country and case.