Spider-Man takes on Kippa Man
Marvel sues famous yarmulke seller over rights to superhero design
Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
Marvel’s Spidey sense for copyright violations has stretched all the way to Jerusalem to ensnare a popular kippa maker in its web of lawsuits.
The comics publisher swung into action recently over the sale of products, notably skullcaps, featuring Spider-Man.
The company is suing the well-known Kippa Man shop for NIS 100,000 ($25,274) in damages because it sells a range of kippas featuring the red and blue superhero’s costume design and image, Maariv reported on Thursday.
In the lawsuit, being brought by local Israeli attorneys Ivtsan-Netzer-Wolecki & Co., Marvel claimed it lost revenue due to breach of intellectual property by Kippa Man.
“The defendant distributes and sells kippas that carry the plaintiff’s symbols in a breach of the plaintiff’s rights to the product, including trademarks, the trademarked name, and manufacturer’s rights,” read the lawsuit.
A month ago a representative from the company purchased a Spider-Man yarmulke from the Kippa Man shop on Jaffa Road in downtown Jerusalem. A photograph of the offending kippa was submitted as evidence of copyright infringement.
However, Kippa Man owner Avi Binyamin is not fazed by the sticky situation and told Maariv that his yarmulkes are produced in China, That, he said, is the correct place to bring the lawsuit.
The legal action is the first move by Marvel against what it perceives as widespread copyright infringement in Israel, where products featuring its copyrighted superheros are commonly sold.
Marvel markets a crowd of iconic superheros including Iron Man, Captain America, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four.
