Erroneous Delivery of Wigs Sets Off Copyright-Infringement Suit
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A package delivered in error – of wigs made from human hair, worth $30,000 – has set off a million-dollar copyright-infringement lawsuit between two rival Brooklyn wig makers.
Shevy Custom Wigs, one of the world’s largest importers of human hair, has sued its smaller rival, Aggie Wigs, charging that they have been selling a low-quality line of wigs under the Shevy brand name.
“It’s best for our reputation not to have wigs of a lesser quality out there with our name on them,” the owner of Shevy, Elon Emanuel, said. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on Monday.
The trouble began March 20, when a Federal Express deliveryman dropped off 16 packages of wigs assembled and labeled in China to Shevy, located in the Midwood section of Brooklyn. Fifteen of those boxes were addressed to Shevy, but the last box was intended for Aggie Wigs, which is located nearby, according to the suit. A Shevy employee opened the box, which contained wigs bearing the Shevy label even though they actually had been made for Aggie, according to court documents.
“We get so many boxes a day that the Fed-Ex guy took it for granted it was for us,” the owner, Elon Emanuel, said. “When he sees wigs, we’re the address.”
The owner of Aggie Wiggs is Aggie Grossman. Her lawyer, Michael Wimpfheimer, has demanded the return of the errant box. Mr. Wimpfheimer declined to address the question of how the Shevy’s labels wound up on a shipment of Aggie’s wigs. Instead, he has demanded their return, and has threatened to call police.
“I don’t understand,” Mr. Wimpfheimer said in a telephone interview. “Certainly the material doesn’t belong to them, even if they are making accusations about trade secrets.”
The address of Mrs. Grossman’s business is a residence in Midwood. No one was available for comment yesterday afternoon.
Shevy wigs sell for between $1,500 and $4,000. They are popular among married chasidic women, who often wear wigs for religious reasons. Shevy also sells wigs to theatrical companies and patients undergoing chemotherapy.
