Copyright Infringement Settlement Agreement

A well-constructed Intellectual Property Copyright Infringement Settlement Agreement often comes together with a Copyright Infringement Cease and Desist Demand letter. Together, they can be a very powerful way to let the person that is unlawfully using your work, stop his activities.

In general, a Copyright Infringement Settlement Agreement includes:

You need to outline the consequences for using the copyrighted work unlawfully. Remember here that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar; so you want to be polite and respectful. Considering the Copyright Infringement Settlement Agreement is by nature a threatening letter, it’s better to keep the facts straight and there’s no need to express extra aggression. The aim is to reach an agreement, which both parties can live with. 

Always mention a period of time that this matter must be solved: the deadline. Always consider to give a reasonable time frame which is workable to receive the payment of debt, or agree to a payment schedule. Make it very clear that he/she must respond to the letter within a set time period. If you leave it ambiguous, you are setting yourself up for further delays.

For this matter, you do not need a lawyer to write the first Cease and Desist Demand letter; you can write the demand letter by yourself and save yourself the cost and effort of hiring an attorney. However, if you have any reservations about drafting a suitable document yourself, you should at least talk to an attorney about your situation to get the right advice.