Attorney’s Cease-and-Desist and Evidence Preservation Notice Regarding Unauthorized Use of an Identical/Similar Trademark
[Sender’s Law Firm Letterhead]
[Address]
[Telephone] [Email]
[Date]
By Courier and Email
[Recipient’s Legal Name]
[Registered/Business Address]
[Email]
Re: Unauthorized use of a sign identical with and/or similar to [Registered Mark] and Notice to Preserve Evidence
We act for [Client’s Full Legal Name] (the “Client”), the proprietor of the following valid and subsisting trademark rights in the People’s Republic of China (PRC):
- [Trademark: Word/Device “...”], PRC Reg. No. [•], Class [•], covering [goods/services];
- [Additional registrations, if any].
Copies of registration certificates and status reports are appended (Annex 1).
I. Factual background and impugned conduct
Based on our investigation, [Recipient] has, without authorization from the Client:
- Used the sign “[Impugned Sign]” on or in connection with [identify goods/services], including on packaging, product listings, webpages, promotional materials, and transactional documents at [list URLs, platforms, stores, or physical channels], and
- Promoted and displayed the sign in online advertising and other commercial activities likely to reach the relevant public.
Representative screenshots, dated capture records, and notarized online evidence are appended (Annex 2).
II. Legal analysis
- Unauthorized trademark use on identical/similar goods/services
- Under Article 57 of the PRC Trademark Law (2019 amendment), using, without permission of the registrant, a sign identical with or similar to a registered trademark on the same or similar goods/services and thereby likely to cause confusion constitutes infringement of the exclusive right to use a registered trademark.
- Article 48 of the Trademark Law defines “use of a trademark” to include use on goods, packages/containers, and in advertising, exhibitions, and other commercial activities, as well as on transactional documents. Your uses fall squarely within this statutory definition.
- Use of trademark or similar sign as an enterprise identifier
- Article 58 of the Trademark Law provides that where a party uses a trademark registered by another as its enterprise name or uses a similar mark as an enterprise identifier, causing confusion among the public, such conduct shall be handled under the Anti-Unfair Competition Law.
- Acts causing confusion prohibited by the Anti-Unfair Competition Law
- Article 6 of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law (2019 amendment) prohibits business operators from carrying out confusing acts sufficient to mislead the public into believing that their goods/services originate from or are associated with another, including unauthorized use of signs identical with or similar to others’ enterprise names, abbreviations, trade names, domain names, website names, or other signs with certain market influence.
- Remedies and liability
- Where infringement is established, Article 60 of the Trademark Law authorizes administrative authorities to order cessation of infringement and impose penalties; civil liabilities include cessation, removal of the effects, and compensation for losses.
- Article 63 of the Trademark Law provides for damages based on the right holder’s losses, the infringer’s profits, or a reasonable license fee; where infringement is malicious and circumstances are serious, punitive damages of one to five times the amount determined may be awarded. If actual loss or profits are difficult to calculate, statutory damages may be awarded within the statutory range.
- Platform notice-and-takedown obligations (if applicable)
- Under Articles 42 and 45 of the PRC E-Commerce Law (effective Jan. 1, 2019), e-commerce platform operators must take necessary measures upon receipt of rights-holder notices of infringement; failure to act when knowing or should-have-known of infringement may give rise to joint and several liability for the expanded harm.
- Evidence and act preservation
- Article 81 of the PRC Civil Procedure Law authorizes the people’s court to order preservation of evidence when such evidence may be destroyed or subsequently difficult to obtain; in urgent circumstances, applications may be made before filing a lawsuit.
- Article 100 of the Civil Procedure Law permits act (behavior) preservation where the conduct of a party may cause irreparable harm or render the judgment unenforceable; this is frequently applied in IP disputes.
- The Supreme People’s Court’s Provisions on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Reviewing Cases Involving Act Preservation in Intellectual Property Disputes (Fa Shi [2018] No. 21) set forth standards for pre-suit and in-suit injunctive relief in IP matters.
Applying the foregoing, your unauthorized use of an identical and/or similar sign on identical/similar goods/services, in a manner likely to cause confusion regarding source, affiliation, or sponsorship, prima facie infringes the Client’s exclusive trademark rights and/or constitutes unfair competition.
III. Demands
Without prejudice to any rights and remedies, we hereby demand that you:
- Immediate cessation
- Immediately cease all use of “[Impugned Sign]” or any sign confusingly similar to the Client’s [Registered Mark] on or in connection with any goods/services, advertising, packaging, webpages, applications, domain names, social media handles, stores, catalogs, invoices, or other commercial materials.
- Takedown and withdrawal
- Within five (5) business days, remove and procure removal of all infringing listings, advertisements, and promotional materials from all online and offline channels, including but not limited to [platforms/URLs], and confirm completion in writing.
- Corporate name, signage, domain names, and identifiers
- If any enterprise name, trade name, store name, domain name, handle, or other identifier incorporates “[Impugned Sign]” or a confusingly similar element, file the necessary change applications within ten (10) business days and cease use pending completion. For domain names containing the Client’s mark or confusingly similar elements, arrange transfer to the Client or its designee.
- Accounting and disclosure
- Within ten (10) business days, provide a complete written accounting of manufacture, import, sales, inventory, suppliers, customers, pricing, costs, profits, marketing spend, and distribution channels for all goods/services bearing the impugned sign from [date] to present, together with supporting documents (invoices, contracts, shipping records, bills of materials, purchase orders, marketing insertion orders, platform dashboards).
- Destruction/recall
- Within fifteen (15) business days, cease production and arrange supervised destruction of infringing labels, plates, molds, packaging, and promotional materials; if goods are in channels of commerce, propose a verifiable recall plan.
- Undertaking and settlement discussion
- Within five (5) business days, provide an executed written undertaking to comply with the above and to refrain from future infringement or confusing conduct. Upon receipt of complete accounting, we are prepared to discuss compensation consistent with Article 63 of the Trademark Law.
IV. Evidence preservation notice
You are hereby formally notified to preserve without alteration, deletion, concealment, or transfer, and to suspend any routine data-destruction policies regarding, the following categories of evidence from [earliest relevant date] to present:
- All physical samples, packaging, labels, tags, inserts, molds/plates, and promotional items bearing the impugned sign;
- All marketing/advertising materials (online and offline), including creative files, briefs, media buys, keyword lists, ad dashboards, and performance reports;
- All product listings, webpages, social media posts/messages, live-stream recordings, and related metadata, server logs, and backend CMS data;
- All contracts, POs, invoices, shipping and customs records, warehouse logs, supplier and distributor agreements, and payment records;
- Domain name registration data, WHOIS, DNS settings, SSL certificates, and hosting/server access logs relating to relevant websites/apps;
- Internal communications (emails, chat logs) and policy documents relating to selection, design, clearance, or use of the impugned sign;
- Corporate registration materials and filings for any enterprise name, trade name, or store name incorporating the impugned sign.
Please be advised that the destruction or alteration of evidence may result in adverse inferences, sanctions, or other legal consequences under the PRC Civil Procedure Law and relevant judicial interpretations. We are concurrently arranging notarized test purchases and online evidence fixation, and we reserve the right to apply for court-ordered evidence preservation and act preservation on an ex parte and urgent basis.
V. Consequences of non-compliance
If you fail to confirm in writing full compliance with Sections III(1)-(3) within five (5) business days of this letter, and to complete the remaining items within the specified timeframes, our Client will, without further notice:
- File civil actions seeking cessation of infringement, act preservation (injunction), evidence preservation, asset/property preservation, damages (including punitive damages where warranted), and costs under the Trademark Law and Civil Procedure Law;
- Submit administrative complaints to the Administration for Market Regulation (AMR) for investigation and administrative penalties pursuant to Article 60 of the Trademark Law and Article 6 of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law;
- Issue platform notices under the E-Commerce Law (Articles 42, 45) and pursue platform joint liability where applicable;
- Initiate domain name dispute proceedings and seek cancellation or transfer of infringing domain names and business identifiers.
All rights and remedies are expressly reserved.
Please direct your written confirmation, undertaking, and disclosures to the undersigned by [time/date], and provide a responsible legal contact for service.
Sincerely,
[Name], Attorney at Law
[Title]
[Law Firm Name]
[Address]
[Telephone] [Email]
Enclosures:
- Annex 1: Trademark registration particulars and certificates
- Annex 2: Evidence dossier (screenshots, notarized online captures, test-purchase records)
- Annex 3: Proposed undertaking template
Selected legal authorities cited (non-exhaustive):
- Trademark Law of the People’s Republic of China (as amended 2019): Articles 48, 57, 58, 60, 63.
- Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the People’s Republic of China (as amended 2019): Article 6.
- E-Commerce Law of the People’s Republic of China (effective 2019): Articles 42, 45.
- Civil Procedure Law of the People’s Republic of China: Articles 81 (evidence preservation), 100 (act preservation).
- Provisions of the Supreme People’s Court on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Reviewing Cases Involving Act Preservation in Intellectual Property Disputes (Fa Shi [2018] No. 21).