Cease and Desist Letter Template (Singapore)

A cease and desist letter is a formal written notice demanding that the recipient immediately stop ("cease") an allegedly unlawful or infringing activity and refrain from repeating it in the future ("desist"). It is not a court order — it is a private communication with no binding force on the recipient — but it serves critical legal and commercial purposes: it puts the recipient on formal, documented notice of the claim; it gives the recipient an opportunity to comply voluntarily, avoiding expensive litigation; it demonstrates to a Singapore court (if proceedings are later necessary) that the sender attempted pre-litigation resolution; and in intellectual property cases, it establishes that any infringement after the letter date was committed with full knowledge of the rights holder's claim, which may be relevant to damages.

In Singapore, cease and desist letters are used across a wide range of disputes. In intellectual property matters, rights holders under the Trade Marks Act (Cap. 332), Copyright Act 2021, and Patents Act (Cap. 221) regularly send cease and desist letters to infringers before commencing proceedings in the Singapore High Court (Intellectual Property Division) or the Singapore courts. For harassment and cyberbullying, victims may use a cease and desist letter (backed by the threat of a Protection Order application) under the Protection from Harassment Act (Cap. 256A) (POHA). For defamation — whether in traditional media or online — a Singapore cease and desist letter is typically the first step before a defamation action in the High Court or State Courts. In employment disputes, employers send cease and desist letters to former employees who are breaching post-employment restrictions or misusing confidential information or trade secrets under the Trade Secrets Protection Act 2018.

A Singapore cease and desist letter should clearly identify the sender's legal rights, the specific acts complained of, the statutory or common law basis for the claim, the remedies available if the infringing conduct continues, and a firm deadline for the recipient to respond and confirm compliance. In Singapore, the High Court may grant injunctions — including urgent ex parte injunctions — to restrain ongoing infringement where the rights holder can demonstrate a serious question to be tried, a balance of convenience favouring an injunction, and irreparable harm. An urgent application for a Singapore injunction can be made even before the cease and desist letter period has expired, where there is an imminent risk of irreparable harm. The Singapore Intellectual Property Office (IPOS) also provides mediation services for IP disputes, which may be an effective and cost-efficient alternative to litigation.