Source: http://www.nevyaseyeassociatesfdawarnings.com/?page_id=18
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 14:24:55+00:00

Document:
In April, 2000 Morgan filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Herbert Nevyas and his daughter Anita Nevyas-Wallace, two Philadelphia area LASIK doctors and their practice, Nevyas Eye Associates.
In 2002, he put up a website, LASIKsucks4u.com, to warn others of the risks of LASIK surgery. Morgan found out he was not alone. At the time he started his website, there had been multiple cases of medical malpractice (including his) filed against these doctors and their business, as listed in the Philadelphia Civil Docket Access System.
In response to posting this website and, after the medical malpractice lawsuit, including the Nevyases names, Morgan was sued. Through threats of lawsuit, intimidation, and (he believed) violation of his First Amendment rights, his website was shut down three times previously, the 2nd time after a temporary restraining order was sought, and denied (by the courts). Because of the way Morgan’s medical malpractice lawsuit was handled through the courts, he believed it necessary to document this case in its entirety.
Morgan updated his website to include information obtained about Drs. Herbert Nevyas and Anita Nevyas-Wallace, and Nevyas Eye Associates.
After receiving a cease and desist (PAGE 1, PAGE 2) letter from Nevyases attorney, Morgan put his website back to its original state and responded with a letter of intent. In the course of a week, his website was shut down after YAHOO also received a letter. After hosting with a new company and determining the legal extent of their threat and making changes to the site, Morgan posted new information with documents to support.
On November 7th, the Nevyases filed a lawsuit against Morgan for defamation (PART_1, PART_2, PART_3), also claiming he broke an agreement with them. They were asked numerous times by Morgan’s (then) attorney and also filed with the courts, to state what they felt were legally objectionable with his website. They refused, and filed an emergency petition for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), which was denied. On November 26th, Nevyases filed a motion for reconsideration (TRO), which was also denied.
November 26, 2003 (PART1, PART2) – Plaintiffs filed for Reconsideration.
In December, Morgan filed an answer to a complaint, with New Matter and a Counterclaim.
After the Nevyases were denied reconsideration for TRO, they withdrew the lawsuit against Morgan in Philadelphia Court, and filed in Federal Court (Nevyas v. Morgan, Case 2:04-cv-00421-JCJ, Document 16 (E.D. Pa., March 12, 2004)) . This time Nevyases tried for subject matter jurisdiction by claiming the content on Morgan’s site violated the Lanham Act, and also joined his attorney for letters written to the FDA on Morgan’s behalf which Morgan posted on his site. Morgan published those letters believing they supported all of the other documents on his site, and the documents on the site supported those letters. The Nevyases also attempted another restraining order, which they never got. This action was dismissed for failure to state a federal claim.
The case went to trial on July 26, 2005 on the claim for specific performance, and the court ruled in the Nevyas’ favor. It found that both parties entered into an agreement whereby in exchange for the Nevyases not filing a lawsuit against Morgan, that Morgan would remove all defamatory statements about the Nevyases from the site and refrain from defaming them in the future. But the trial court’s order went a bit further — it forbid Morgan from mentioning the Nevyases at all, on lasiksucks4u.com which was the only site mentioned up to trial, or any other website.
Morgan believed that Judge Eugene Maier erred in his ruling, and sought the help of Public Citizen for appeal. The ACLU also helped obtain local counsel for Morgan (Appellant Brief – Superior Court). After Morgan appealed Judge Maier’s ruling with the help of Public Citizen, parts of the case were still before Judge Maier. As shown on the case docket (partial listing of docket below), everything filed on Morgan’s behalf since filing his appeal was DENIED by Judge Maier!
PROCEEDINGS. JURISDICTION RELINQUISHED……3/9/07 RECORD RETURNED.
ANITA NEVYAS-WALLACE, M.D. & NEVYAS EYE ASSOCIATES, P.C. TO MOTION TO RECUSE.
J. MORGAN’S MOTION TO RECUSE JUDGE EUGENE MAIER FILED).
45-07072345 CROSS MOTION FOR DECLARATORY JUDGMENT FILED.
45-07072345 REPLY FILED TO MOTION FOR DECLARATORY JUDGMENT.
97-07071697 REPLY FILED TO MOTION FOR S.J.
MORGAN’S RESPONSE, THE MOTION IS DENIED. BY THE COURT: HON. EUGENE EDWARD J.
ACCORD WITH THE ORDER OF THE SUPERIOR COURT. RESPONSE DATE 06-30-08.
PLAINTIFFS NEVYASES’ MOTION FOR AN EVIDENTIARY HEARING FILED.
11. What are the most important cases you have handled as an attorney or as a Judge?
“In my private practice as an attorney, and as a judge, I have always considered family law cases as the most important because the personal lives of the litigants are at stake. Custody, divorce, support and related issues affect the welfare, living conditions and wellbeing of all of our citizens. However, these cases are highly fact driven, and it is impossible to classify them into groups.
1. Nevyas v. Morgan, 921 A.2d 8 (Pa.Super. 2007).
A Pennsylvania resident left legally blind after lasik eye surgery created a website which included criticism of his doctors. Under threat of suit, he agreed to eliminate certain statements the doctors alleged were defamatory. He later added new material criticizing the doctors. The doctors sued, claiming that because they had agreed not to sue him if he removed the initial defamatory allegations, the agreement was binding in perpetuity, and he could not comment negatively on them.
December 08, 2009: REPLY BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION TO AMEND ORDER TO CERTIFY FOR PURPOSES OF TAKING AN INTERLOCUTORY APPEAL An interlocutory appeal is appropriate in this action because the question of whether Dr. Nevyas, Dr.Wallace and their medical practice are limited purpose public figures is the controlling question in this litigation. The Court’s finding that plaintiffs are limited purpose public figures has a profound effect on this litigation. It requires Plaintiffs to prove actual malice.
Exactly 2 WEEKS AFTER THEY COMPLAINED TO THE NATIONAL ARBITRATION FORUM, Anita’s son Jonathan Wallace registered 87 domain names, using 30 different variations of Morgan’s name and or websites. In December 2010, the Nevyases decided they did not want to litigate the case in Federal Court due to “cost of litigation”. Morgan did not find the information regarding what Anita Nevyas’ son did until well after December 2010. This was never brought up or addressed to the courts because Morgan did not, nor did he care.
The Forum has previously recognized that individuals have common law trademark rights in their own names enforceable in domain dispute proceedings. See Jerry Damson, Inc. v. Texas International Property Assoc., F0702000916991 (Nat. Arb. Forum Apr. 10, 2007) (Jerry Damson doing business under the mark “Jerry Damson Acura” had right to JerryDamsonAcura.com domain name). See also Margaret Drabble v. Old Barn Studios Ltd., D2001-020 (WIPO Mar. 26, 2001) (author Margaret Drabble had common law rights to MarthaDrabble.com domain); Jeanette Winterson v. Mark Hogarth, D2000-0235 (WIPO May 22, 2000) (Jeanette Winterson had common law rights to her name); Julia Fiona Roberts v. Russell Boyd D2000-0210 (WIPO May 29, 2000) (Julia Roberts had common law rights to “Julia Roberts”); Thibodeau, v. Yomtobian, FA 94868 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 28, 2000) (rights to “Dr. Lauren” in dispute re: www.drlauren.com).
The complainant also need not be a famous individual for common law rights in his or her name to arise. See, e.g., Dr. Paul Guerrino v. Yin Chew, FA0204000110873 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 17, 2002) (Practicing dentist Dr. Guerrino owned rights to www.guerrinodentistry.com).
See Printouts from Respondent’s websites, attached as Exhibit F. Respondent’s websites display the number of hits on each link, indicating that Respondent’s websites have redirected thousands of consumers to other websites advertising competitive products and services. Respondent also has a history of using websites to solicit donations to pay his legal fees in litigation against Complainants. See, e.g., http://www.lasik-flap.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=373.
c) The domain names < nevyaslasik.com>, <anitanevyaslasik.com>, and <herbertnevyaslasik.com> (sites listed) are not identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant(s) claims to have rights.
d) Respondent owns < nevyaslasik.com>, < anitanevyaslasik.com>, and < herbertnevyaslasik.com> and has rights and legitimate interests in that is/are the subject of the complaint. ICANN Rule 3(b)(ix)(2); ICANN Policy ¶ 4(a)(ii).
Bridgestone Firestone, Inc. v. Myers, WIPO Case No. D2000-0190 (July 6, 2000); Bosley Med. Group v. Kremer, WIPO Case No. D2000-1647 (February 28, 2001); TMP Worldwide Inc. v. Potter, WIPO Case No. D2000-0536 (August 5, 2000); The Am. Nat’l Red Cross v. Mafiabusters.com LLC, NAF File No. FA0206000114589 (August 6, 2002); Pensacola Christian College Inc. v. Gage, NAF File No. FA0110000101314 (December 12, 2001); Compusa Mgmt. Co. v. Customized Computer Training, NAF File No. FA0006000095082 (August 17, 2000); Robo Enters., Inc. v. Daringer, NAF File No. FA0101000096375 (February 21, 2001); Savin Corp. v. savinsucks.com, NAF File No. FA0201000103982 (March 5, 2002); Bloomberg L.P. v. Secaucus Group, NAF File No. FA0104000097077 (June 7, 2001); Mayo Found. for Ed. and Research v. Briese, NAF File No. FA0102000096765 (May 4, 2001); Dorset Police v. Coulter, eRes Case No. AF-0942 (October 20, 2001); Carefree Toland Pools, Inc. v. Thomson, eRes Case No. AF-1012 (October 30, 2001); cf. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. MacLeod, WIPO Case No. D2000-0662 (September 19, 2000) (stating that criticism can be a legitimate interest, but finding no legitimate interest because the protest site was created only as a pretext for selling the site back to the trademark owner); Becker & Poliakoff, P.A. v. Isabell, eRes Case No. AF-0847 (August 9, 2000) (stating the panel would find criticism to be a legitimate fair use if it had not decided the dispute on other grounds). Respondent Morgan also is not a commercial enterprise and the sole purpose of his websites are to provide verifiable, factual information about respondent Morgan‟s experiences with complainant(s). Although the information provided on Respondent’s web site admittedly is, and should be, embarrassing to complainant and its LASIK surgeons, complainant has not provided any evidence to support his allegation that it is defamatory. There is significant social value in permitting people to express their opinions as part of their First Amendment rights, just as there is a right to criticize public figures and organizations under the freedom of speech principles of the U.S. Constitution. These rights clearly override the minimal commercial value of a domain name in a case like this.
ii) The accuracy and legitimacy of respondent Morgan‟s claims about complainant(s) on <nevyaslasik.com>, < herbertnevyaslasik.com>, and < anitanevyaslasik.com> are confirmed by the public documents throughout Respondent Morgan‟s websites.
c) Respondent has not registered <nevyaslasik.com>, < anitanevyaslasik.com>, and < herbertnevyaslasik.com> in bad faith ICANN Rule 3(b)(ix)(3); ICANN Policy ¶ 4(a)(iii).
Respondent states that since receiving the Complaint in this matter, he: (1) removed the link on his website to www.lasikinfocenter.com, which contained advertisements for Complainants’ competitors; and (2) revised the title pages of his websites so as to not misleadingly refer to Complainants. Response, at 3, 5, Ex. 5.
In 2003 University of Cincinatti Law Professor James O’Reilly contacted me and asked me to post, on my website, his article on legal and regulatory problems involving LASIK eye surgery, and I agreed. After the Nevyases sued me, I asked professor O’Reilly to re-evaluate my website. He did, and prepared a declaration, which I posted online.
In 2011, the Nevyas v. Morgan case finally went to trial in front of Judge Victor DiNubile. His final ruling gave the Nevyases the injunctive relief they’ve sought for numerous years even after hearing testimony from Dr. Morris Waxler, former FDA Director of Medical Devices (Superior Court Copy – PART1, PART2, PART3, PART4, PART5). Noted extensively were violations of the Nevyases and the illegalities of their investigational study and also of the FDA sending warning letters consistently about Nevyases’ violations, including one sent in 2012!
As soon as the underlying case was on appeal, the Nevyases filed a Petition for Contempt (Exhibits – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) against Morgan. This did not get to a hearing until April, 2012.
Per DiNubile’s order: I had to remove the Nevyas laser was a “black box laser”.
Morris Waxler (who was head of the medical devices panel at the FDA during my LASIK) testified at trial that the Nevyas laser was indeed a “black box” laser. Both Nevyases perjured themselves at the contempt hearing stating it was not.
Per DiNubile’s specific instructions,The letter I wrote to the American Academy of Ophthalmology was never introduced as evidence at trial or appeal. They may have stated but never argued the letter as defamatory, nor did DiNubile allow the email from Matthew Tarosky to Jo Wills, whose husband was also damaged by the Nevyases to be presented at trial.
The March 2011 trial was never really about me. The only thing I believe the Nevyases were interested in was going after my ex attorney’s insurance company. They sued him for $1mil because I posted letters on my websites he wrote to the FDA on my behalf (They lost). The letters, all factual had been removed several years prior but I was still ordered by the courts to never repost them.
I was also ordered to remove (per DiNubile’s specific instructions) that “the Nevyases damaged my eyes”.
I testified at the contempt hearing that I have thousands of pages to back up every allegation made against the Nevyases and DiNubile ignored that as well.
Section 1. The General Assembly finds and declares that there has been a disturbing increase in lawsuits brought primarily to chill the valid exercise of the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and petition for the redress of grievances. The General Assembly also finds and declares that it is in the public interest to encourage continued participation in matters of public significance and that this participation should not be chilled through abuse of the judicial process. This act is intended to grant immunity to those groups or parties exercising this right and shall be construed broadly.

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