A solicitor drafted cease and desist letter stops most trademark infringers without court action. Your rights identified, the infringement evidenced, specific undertakings demanded and a deadline set, on solicitor letterhead. Fixed fee agreed in writing before any work begins.
Handled entirely in writing. No hearings, no meetings, no attendance required.
A cease and desist letter is a formal demand from a solicitor that the recipient stops using your mark and confirms in writing that they will not use it again. A properly drafted one does five things.
The registered mark, or the goodwill you have built if unregistered, or both.
The product, website, social account or marketplace listing, captured and dated.
Section 10 of the Trade Marks Act 1994 for registered marks, passing off for unregistered rights.
Stop using the mark, destroy infringing stock, deliver up materials, account for profits.
Typically seven to fourteen days, with all rights reserved including injunctive relief and damages.
If proceedings follow, this letter is the foundation of your position on costs.
A letter you write yourself, or one produced by an automated platform, is read as a complaint. A letter on solicitor letterhead is read as a credible step before litigation, and the recipient and their adviser both know the difference.
An SRA-regulated solicitor will not put their letterhead behind a baseless claim. That is precisely why it carries weight.
The threats provision. Under section 21 of the Trade Marks Act 1994, an unjustified threat of infringement proceedings can be actionable against the person who made it. Sending an aggressive letter on a weak claim can turn you from claimant into defendant. This is the single strongest reason not to send one yourself.
Your rights need to be checked first. Whether your mark is registered, what it actually covers, and whether the use complained of falls inside it. We check that before drafting, not after.
Written reply within 24 hours. Trademarks filed within 48 hours of instruction. Documents in days, not weeks. Never "3 to 5 business days" just to hear back.
| Item | What it covers | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Cease and desist letter | Your rights identified, the infringing use evidenced, the legal basis set out, specific undertakings demanded and a deadline set, on solicitor letterhead. | from £595 |
| Cease and desist plus follow up | The letter, plus the correspondence that follows and the negotiation of undertakings to signed form. | from £995 |
| Platform takedown alongside the letter | Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Meta or TikTok reports prepared on the same evidence, so the listing comes down while the letter runs. | from £395 |
| Response to a letter you have received | Accused of infringement? The reply that protects your position, including where the threat is unjustified. | from £595 |
| Undertakings and settlement agreement | The deal converted into a binding agreement that survives second thoughts. | from £995 |
| Escalation to proceedings | Where the recipient refuses, the strategy note and the handover to instructed counsel for IPEC proceedings. | from £650 |
Bespoke and urgent matters outside the schedule: £650 per hour, capped estimates in advance.
Most recipients respond within the deadline, typically seven to fourteen days. Amazon sellers, dropshippers and small competitors usually comply rather than spend on a fight, because switching name or product costs them less than defending.
You can, and it is usually treated as a complaint rather than a threat. A letter on solicitor letterhead is read as a credible step before proceedings, which is what changes the recipient's calculation.
Under section 21 of the Trade Marks Act 1994, an unjustified threat of infringement proceedings can itself be actionable against the person making it. That is the main reason to have the letter drafted properly rather than copied from a template.
It helps considerably, but unregistered rights built through trading can support a claim in passing off. We tell you which basis you actually have before the letter goes.
The letter becomes the foundation of the case. Refusal to comply strengthens your position on costs and on the basis of any damages award. The next step is usually an application to the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, with counsel instructed.
From £595 fixed, agreed in writing before any work begins. The exact fee is confirmed once we have seen the mark and the infringing use.
Send a brief outline of your matter. You will receive a personal reply from a solicitor, with a fixed-fee quote where the scope is clear. Payment is taken before work begins; every fee is fixed in writing first.
UK · EU · US · International