Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Behold The Greatest Cease-And-Desist Response Letter Of All Time
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 19, 2013
Modified Jun 19, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 19, 2013
Modified Jun 19, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Now, we'll admit that we don't have too much experience with cease-and-desist letters—but we are familiar with snarky, smart-ass lawyers who seem to relish any opportunity to put a frivolous allegation or lawsuit in its place. And seen in that light, the letter below penned by attorney Stephen B. Kaplitt on behalf of New Jersey resident Jake Freivald is practically a work of art. Kaplitt obviously picked the wrong line of work—he should have been a blogger.
It all started when Freivald, who runs the rudimentary site westorange.info, received a cease-and-desist letter from Richard D. Trenk, the township attorney for West Orange, claiming that his website is very very "confusting [sic]": "The use of the Township’s name is unauthorized and is likely to cause confustion [sic], mistake or to deceive the public and may be a violation of the Township’s federally protected rights." You can read the full letter, which Freivald typed out, here.
Then came the response letter, which you can read in full below. Suffice to say, it is a level of ownage that would even impress the mighty Zodiac Motherfucker.
Stephen Kaplitt: Cease and Desist Response Letter
Tagged
cease and desist
copywright
law
lawyers
response
snarkiness
the best
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Republican Jeff Van Drew concedes NJ congressional seat in surprise victory for Democrats
Smalltown Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock’s likely victory could mark a historic night for Democrats.
By
Mike Hayes
and
Karen Yi
Published Nov 3, 2026 at 11:24 p.m. ET
NYC voters appear poised to approve outdoor dining, bike lane ballot measures
All five proposed changes to the city charter are leading, including measures to streamline outdoor dining permits and speed up bike and bus lane projects.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
NYC voters appear poised to approve outdoor dining, bike lane ballot measures
All five proposed changes to the city charter are leading, including measures to streamline outdoor dining permits and speed up bike and bus lane projects.
By
Giulia Heyward
Rebecca Bennett flips NJ Republican House seat for Democrats
By
Mike Hayes
and
Karen Yi
Mamdani allies Valdez, Avila Chevalier win House seats for New York
By
Jon Campbell
Kathy Hochul re-elected New York governor, defeats Bruce Blakeman
By
Jon Campbell
,
Elizabeth Kim
and
Walter Wuthmann
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .