Calgary Man With Multiple Sclerosis Receives Cease-And-Desist Notice From MS Society

He's now taken down his website.

A Calgary man living with multiple sclerosis has taken his website offline after a cease and desist letter from the MS Society of Canada.

Courtesy of Matt Embry

Matt Embry, 38, was diagnosed with MS 20 years ago. Since then, he's been managing his symptoms with diet and exercise. He launched MSHope.com in January to share his drug-free, lifestyle-based strategies with other people living with MS.

"I had been in the closet, you could say, about having MS," Embry told BuzzFeed Canada.

"But as I approached 40 I decided that I wanted to get the message out and I thought the best way possible was to tell my story and say I’m not a doctor, but this was my experience."

He's now pulled the website and his YouTube videos after the MS Society of Canada sent him a letter saying their logos were too similar and his would have to change. Though he did update it once, he received another letter in June saying it wasn't enough.

He shared the letter he received from the MS Society on Facebook, saying the Society shouldn't be "hiring law corporations to intimidate and bully people with MS like me."

facebook.com

We and our client have reviewed your website and confirm that the font of the website's logo has changed. However, we find the change to the logo to be nominal, superficial and insubstantial.

...

Please be advised that if the logos on your website are not modified to the Society's satisfaction and we do not receive written confirmation as requested, we will explore with our client their enforcement options against you and MSHope.com.

MSHope is not monetized nor does it solicit donations.

These are the logos, side by side, with the MS Society's on the left and Embry's on the right.

MS Society of Canada / MSHope.com

The letter said the colour and font choice of Embry's logo could "mislead the public as to an affiliation between the Society and MSHope.com."

In a statement, Yves Savoie, president and CEO of the MS Society of Canada, said Embry was not asked to take down his website altogether.

"We asked MSHope to change its logo to more clearly differentiate from ours to avoid confusion for the people we serve. Mr. Embry has responded positively with a commitment to change the logo," the statement said.

Embry plans to comply and, in his words, "I really don’t want this in my life."

He said it will take approximately three weeks to get his site up and running again.

"I'll make the appropriate changes," he said.

"The last thing I want is their money being spent on fighting a guy like me."