A cease and desist letter, also known as a C&D letter, is a legal letter that instructs a person, group, or organization to discontinue an action or program of actions that have been deemed harmful to another person, group, or organization under China law. To cease and desist literally means to stop. Generally, a letter is issued by a legal authority. When an individual must send one, it is usually worded by a China lawyer.A simple Cease and Desist order will identify the following basic elements:
- Recipient: individual or business who needs to stop the harassment, defamation, unreasonable debt collection, or copyright/trademark infringement
- Sender: individual or business requesting the recipient to stop their unlawful behavior
- Unlawful Behavior: detailed description of the behavior and why it is unlawful
- Legal Action: a lawsuit will be initiated if the behavior does not stop or continues
- Date: when the letter is being sent to the recipient
A Cease and Desist Letter is also called a Demand Letter, Violation Letter or Takedown Letter.