What is a Cease and Desist Letter?

A cease and desist letter is a legal notice sent to someone you believe is infringing on copyrights you own the rights to. The letter is your way of stopping them.

There are three main elements that should be clearly stated in every cease and desist notification:

• Your rights stating that you own the materials
• That the user is violating your rights
• That the user must stop doing something (specific) immediately (e.g., remove an image or photo from a website that you have the rights to
• Sometimes cease and desist letters contain additional instructions, or demands, such as a demand for compensation—referred to as a settlement demand letter—or a formal request for proper attribution to correct the violation.

It is important to note that just because you make a demand, your letter does not establish that you have a right to compensation or even that your claim to have exclusive rights to something is valid. Those are legal issues that may need to be settled in court—specifically in a civil lawsuit if you can't work it out on your own with the business or individual that's infringing upon your rights.

Sources: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/faqs-about-cease-and-desist-letters-3514943