Whether you are a patent applicant with a currently pending application or an established company with a portfolio of patented products available on the marketplace, you may encounter competitors with a product that appears to infringe your patent or your currently pending patent application. A potential first step to protect your intellectual property is to send a letter to the potential infringer. But what type of letter should you send? What risks do you face by sending a letter? What issues may arise with a letter for a pending patent application versus an issued patent? This article briefly describes broad issues to consider when taking the first steps to communicating with a potential infringing competitor.