A copyright cease and desist letter is a written notice to a person or business that uses your original work without permission. The letter asks them to stop and warns that you may take further action. Fill in FormsPal’s free copyright cease and desist letter template, download it, and mail it to the infringer. You can also start from the general cease and desist letter template.
Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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This kind of letter is a written notice from the owner of a creative work to someone who copied or used it without permission. It names the work, describes the unauthorized use, and asks the other party to stop. Start with a quick look at the kinds of work involved.
According to the United States Copyright Act 1976 (S. 102), copyright law protects original works, such as literary, pictorial, graphic, dramatic, and musical works, choreography, architecture, and sculpture fixed in any tangible form.
If you’ve noticed an intellectual property violation, you have the right to send a cease and desist letter to the infringer.
Letters like this are often sent about:
Cease and desist letters can be beneficial no matter the circumstances. These documents create possibilities to settle everything without a lawsuit and, therefore, save time and money. If you’ve suffered from copyright infringement but have doubts about writing or not writing the letter, please consider the next information.
A written notice also gives you a clear record. It shows what you asked for and when you asked for it, which helps if you later talk with an attorney about the problem.
When you find your original work or website used without your permission, it is natural to want to protect your rights and even sue the offender. Before you take legal action, consider sending a cease and desist warning. Follow these steps.
You may think that your work is well-protected because you are the owner. But as unfair as it may sound, before claiming the infringement, you must prove your copyrights. If you’ve registered them, you will likely have no problem. Otherwise, it may take some effort to provide the proof.
Although copyright registration is not required, it’s highly recommended for creators. Sometimes, original works can be legally protected with a copyright notice. The Copyright Law of the U.S. provides strong legal protection of original works, but you have to make this protection work in your case.
The U.S.
Copyright Act (S. 107) provides information about fair use, stating that everyone can use copyrighted works for such purposes as teaching, research, scholarships, news reporting, and commenting. However, it’s important to consider such factors as the portion used in correlation with a copyrighted work as a whole, whether the work is used for nonprofit purposes or having a commercial nature, and what effect such usage has on the original work value. It would help if you analyzed all the circumstances in order to exclude fair use of your work.
As the next step, you must prove that your rights have been infringed. Excluding fair use is only half the story.
You will need to search and gather the evidence related to the unauthorized usage, including all the available resources such as screenshots, URL links, video, and audio materials. You can also address the lawyer or IP attorney who will help you define the allegation’s scope and advise you on best practices and resources in such situations.
Keep these items together, and note the day you found each one:
After collecting all the proofs, you need to create the letter and include all information in the document. First, you should request the infringer to immediately stop the illegal activity and then provide you with a written assurance related to compliance with all your demands. Try to make your request as serious as possible.
After preparing the documents, you should deliver them to the offender. It’s important to use certified mail with the return receipt. That’s how you will get the infringer’s signature about receiving your letter.
You will need to wait for a response after sending the letter. You can provide a deadline in the letter, but the recipient may decide to ignore it since the letter is not a legally binding document. However, it would be best to wait before filing a lawsuit or implementing the other remedies.
There are two possibilities to regulate everything—legal dispute resolution or settlement without court involvement. The letter is a good way to regulate everything through the agreement between two parties. But if your letter is ignored, you should go to court that will issue a cease and desist order.
A clear cease and desist letter is short, calm, and specific. The recipient should be able to see which work you mean, where you found the copy, and what you want them to do. Gather the items below before you start.
Put your contact details at the top of the letter, then add the recipient’s details. If the recipient is a business, add the business and the person in charge, when you know who that is. Check each spelling against a web page, an invoice, or an ID.
Give the title of your work and say where and when you first published it. Add a link or a file name so the recipient can find the original. If you hold a registration for the work, mention it here.
Say exactly where you found your work in use. Include the web address, the name of the account or business, and the day you saw it. Describe what was copied, such as a photo, a page of text, or a song, and attach screenshots.
State plainly what you want the recipient to do. Most letters ask the recipient to remove the copy, stop using the work, and confirm in writing that they have done so. Keep the request short, so there is no doubt about what you are asking for.
Give the recipient a clear reply time that feels reasonable to you. Say that you may take further steps if you do not hear back. Keep this part firm and polite.
Read the letter out loud before you print it, and if a sentence sounds angry, rewrite it in plain, factual words.
If you reach this section, it means you are ready to create your cease and desist document. FormsPal’s free template is easy to fill in and gives your letter a clear structure and a professional tone. Before you start, have the names, addresses, and evidence from the steps above in front of you. Then follow these steps.
Use this sample to see how the parts of the letter fit together. Replace the names, addresses, and work titles with your own before you use any part of it. The sample has four parts:
From: John Doe
15 Fine Av.
Stanford, CA 94305
Date: January 21, 2021
To: Jane Doe
15 Business Av.
Stanford, CA 94305
I am writing to inform you about copyright infringement relating to my work entitled “Name 1”. I have reserved all legal rights in this work, first published on my website on May 13, 2005. You can access the website and see the description.
Your work entitled “Name 2” is practically identical to my Work. As you neither asked for permission to use my work as the basis for your creation nor distribute its copies, I believe you have willfully infringed my legal rights.
Therefore, you are requested to immediately cease the usage and distribution of my work and all its copies, as well as to desist from this or any other infringement in the future.
If the cease and desist request is ignored and I do not receive an affirmative response from you within 5 business days, indicating that you fully comply with all the demands and requirements, I will have to address my lawyer and all the available legal remedies.
Sincerely,
John Doe
Once the letter is on its way, keep your records in one place. A simple file makes it easy to follow up, or to explain what happened to an attorney later. Put these items together:
Save the reply and read it carefully. If the recipient agrees to your request, check the web address again to confirm that the copy is gone, and save a new screenshot. If the recipient disagrees, keep the exchange in writing and ask an attorney for advice before you answer.
Wait through the reply time you gave, then check whether your work is still in use. Save a fresh screenshot and write down what you found. After that, talk with an attorney about your options.
It is a written notice that asks someone to stop using your work without permission. You describe your work, the unauthorized use, and what you want the recipient to do.
Address it to the person or business that posted or copied your work. If you only know the site, look for a contact page or owner details first, and check the name and address before you mail it.
Send it by certified mail with a return receipt, and keep the receipt with your signed copy. If you also email it, save the sent message.
Save the following, and keep everything together with your letter:
Keep your proof and the delivery receipt, and write down the date you sent the letter. Then talk with an attorney about your next steps.
Yes. FormsPal’s template walks you through each part, and you can ask an attorney to review the finished letter before you mail it.
Attach copies of your key evidence, such as screenshots and links, and keep the originals. A short list of what you attached helps the recipient follow your letter.
Use a calm, polite, and firm tone. State the facts, name the work, and explain what you want the recipient to do. Angry wording makes the letter harder to take seriously.
You answer a few questions and the document is ready in minutes. You can save your progress, finish on any device, then download and print it.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
