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PLACENTIA -- A small Placentia company making disposable products for eye surgeons claims it is battling a Goliath that is trying to monopolize the market by making false claims about the safety of its product.
And Surgin Surgical Instruments Inc. is loading up its slingshot with information obtained through a trade libel lawsuit filed against Alcon Laboratories Inc. of Fort Worth, a subsidiary of giant Swiss concern Nestle SA.
A direct-mail advertising campaign that Surgin began this month is touting the merits of its Multi-Spike dispensing system and asking doctors to send away for copies of Alcon's internal memos showing the product is safe.
"Send me copies of Alcon's internal conespondence: the tests, the results, the findings, and Alcon's own recommendation to purchase Multi-Spike for overseas distribution," a cut-out response card in the mailer reads.
Alcon attorney Jeff Weinberger, with the Los Angeles law firm Munger, Tolles, Olson, indicated he planned to be among those sending away for the memos. "It's of grave concern," he said. "There's a violation of a court order."
After receiving a complaint from Alcon attorneys, Surgin agreed...