A cease and desist letter is a document sent by a party, often a business, to warn another party that they believe the other party is committing an unlawful act (such as copyright infringement) and will take legal action if the alleged activity continues. If the recipient does not discontinue specified conduct or take certain actions by the deadlines set in the letter, they may be sued.
Definition and wording
A cease and desist letter warns the recipient that a party believes they are committing an unlawful act, such as copyright infringement, and will pursue legal action if the alleged activity continues. The recipient may be sued if they do not stop the specified conduct or take certain actions by the deadlines set in the letter. The phrase 'cease and desist' is a legal doublet made up of two near-synonyms.
Cease and desist order
When issued by a government entity, a cease and desist letter is called a cease and desist order. Such an order is described as 'a warning of impending judicial enforcement'.
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