eBay seller who sued over negative feedback dinged $19k in legal fees

When Med Express sued Amy Nicholls for giving negative feedback on eBay, she didn't back down and remove the feedback. Instead, she lawyered up, acquiring pro bono counsel with help from Paul Levy at Public Citizen, who's been called "the Web Bully's worst enemy."

Med Express founder Richard Radey quickly backed down and apologized, but it didn't sit well. "Problem is, I don't believe a word of what he says," Levy told Ars in 2013. Radey had a history of such lawsuits. Levy sought sanctions and attorneys fees.

That battle has, at long last, been won. A Medina County, Ohio, judge ruled (PDF) this week that Med Express and Radey must pay $19,250 to Tom Haren and Jeffrey Nye, the two Ohio lawyers who represented Nicholls and one other defendant. Levy worked on the case pro bono and sought no fees.