I received a cease and desist letter. What next?

What is a cease and desist letter/email?

A cease and desist (or demand) letter/email is correspondence that states or suggests that you are potentially infringing the trademark of another and demands that you stop using, or consider stopping use of, the accused mark. You should treat any such letter/email seriously. Before deciding how to proceed, consider your options as described below.

What are my options?

Because there are several ways to respond to a cease and desist letter/email, and these options may each have significant legal ramifications, we recommend that you consult an attorney experienced in trademark disputes. Among the options are:

1. Respond

(a) If you have a basis for doing so, you may respond to the letter/email and deny infringement; or

(b) You may respond by requesting more specific evidence as to why the trademark owner believes you are infringing its mark, including exploring dates of first use, whether the mark is federally registered, and the geographic areas where the mark has been used.

2. Do Nothing

You may elect not to respond to the letter/email or any follow-up letters/emails. Some trademark cease and desist letters/emails are sent in the hope that some recipients will be misled or intimidated into stopping or paying for use even though they do not need to do so. However, the decision not to respond should not be made lightly because doing nothing carries some risk. If you are later found liable for infringement, the court may determine that you acted recklessly and subject you to additional monetary damages.

3. Negotiate

You may negotiate with the trademark owner for a license to use the mark on mutually agreeable terms, or to obtain an agreement that you do not infringe the trademark.

4. File Your Own Lawsuit

You may want to explore suing the trademark owner for a “declaratory judgment” stating that your mark does not infringe the trademark.

An attorney experienced in trademark disputes can help you decide among these and other options and how to implement them.

Source: USPTO.GOV