’Top Gun: Maverick’ Suit Can Move Forward Against Paramount

A judge has declined to dismiss the copyright lawsuit over Top Gun: Maverick, filed this summer by the family of Ehud Yonay. Last week, U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson found that the family has well-pleaded facts that state viable claims for copyright infringement, breach of contract, and declaratory relief. The case is still in early stage of proceedings.

The suit revolves around a 1983 article that inspired the original Top Gun. Paramount originally obtained the exclusive rights to the article but the copyright reverted back to Yonay’s widow and and son in 2020. Paramount claims that the film was “pretty much done” prior to the January 24, 2020 termination date and insists the movie fell under “prior derivative works exception.”

Paramount now has until November 28 to formally respond to the initial complaint.

For more information see Joe Schneider “’Top Gun: Maverick’ Suit Can Move Forward Against Paramount”,  Bloomberg Business, November 10, 2022.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Florida Probate Attorney) for bringing this article to my attention.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/trusts_estates_prof/2022/11/top-gun-maverick-suit-can-move-forward-against-paramount.html