Cease And Desist Letter Add Formulas For Free

It may look official, embossed with the logo of a major corporation's law firm, but stop and desist letters aren't legal documents. Cease and desist letters put the receiving party on notice of a potential dispute, typically an intellectual property dispute. Anyone can send a letter.

A cease and desist letter is a written notice in which the sender requires the recipient to stop an illegal or allegedly illegal activity. The letter can come from an individual, an attorney, or it can be an order or injunction issued by a court or government agency (in which case it's considered to have legal power.)

The most common consequence for not following a cease and desist letter is a lawsuit that can result in a judgment against you. Some less severe consequences include garnishment of wages and defamation suits which could result in reputation loss for individuals or companies respectively.

Every cease and desist letter requires the same basic contents, such as: Your name and address. The recipient's name and address. A demand that the recipient stop the unlawful behavior. Sending the letter via certified mail, return receipt requested.

Fundamentally, there are two ways to respond to a cease and desist letter. You can either (i) agree to comply with the sender's demand, or (ii) dispute the allegations against you or your company.

You need to be aware of certain risks when sending the cease and desist letter. For example, if you threaten the infringer with a lawsuit, they could file a declaratory judgment (i.e., DJ) action against you. The DJ action asks the court to resolve the dispute between you and the infringer.

A cease and desist letter is not legally binding and reflects the opinion of an individual, typically an attorney. A cease and desist letter may serve to warn an offender that legal action may take place if they don't stop the activity.

Cease-and-desist letters are often ignored, but that doesn't mean legal consequences won't follow. While these letters have no real legal effect, failing to respond or follow up on a cease-and-desist letter may lead to some predictable responses from the sender.

What Are the Uses of a Cease and Desist?Character assassination, libel, slander, or defamation.Trademark infringement.Copyright infringement.Patent infringement (Design or Utility)Violation of non-competition agreement.Harassment, including by debt collectors under the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.More items...

Having your attorney write a response letter to try bargaining with the other trademark owner for continued use of the name. Asking the other party for more information, including seeing their trademark to evaluate whether they have a legitimate claim.