September 17, 2026

Hello Reader,

Receiving a trademark demand letter can make it feel as though someone else has already decided the outcome. The language may be forceful, the deadline may be short, and the requested action may include immediately stopping use of your name, removing products, transferring a domain, or paying money.

But a demand letter is an allegation and a request—not a court ruling. The sender may have legitimate concerns, or the situation may be more complicated than the letter suggests. Either way, your first response can affect your options, leverage, and cost.

Before you reply, take a breath and preserve the record. Keep the letter, envelope, email headers, attachments, and any stated deadline. Do not delete or quietly revise websites, advertisements, packaging, or social media posts that may later help establish when and how you used the mark. Avoid an emotional response, a public argument, or an admission made before the facts have been assessed.

Then begin gathering the information needed to evaluate the claim:

• Records showing when you selected and first used the name or logo
• Trademark searches, applications, or registrations
• Examples of your products, services, advertising, and packaging
• The geographic areas and customer groups you serve
• Relevant domain names, social media accounts, and marketplace listings
• Any evidence of actual customer confusion—or the absence of it
• Prior communications with the sender or other businesses using similar marks

A trademark registration can be important, but it does not automatically resolve every dispute. A careful assessment may consider which party has priority, the strength and scope of each mark, the overall similarity of the names or designs, the relationship between the goods or services, sales channels, customer sophistication, geographic reach, and any available defenses or limitations.

The deadline in a private demand letter is not necessarily the same as a court-ordered deadline, but it should still be taken seriously. If more time is reasonably needed to investigate, counsel may be able to request an extension while protecting your position.

Depending on the facts and business priorities, the right response might be to correct inaccuracies, request more information, negotiate boundaries, explore coexistence, modify certain uses, plan an orderly transition, or firmly defend the brand. The goal is not to “win” an angry email exchange. It is to make a measured decision that protects both your legal position and your business.

If you have received a trademark demand letter, reply LETTER. Our team will send information about consultation and response options.

Best,

J.J. Lee and the Trademark Lawyer Law Firm Team

P.S. If a response deadline is approaching, include the date in your reply so our team can quickly identify the timing.

Trademarks Registered This Week

Here are the trademarks our firm helped register this week: