Legal Victory: 'Top Gun: Maverick' Escapes Infringement Allegations

A federal appeals court determined that 'Top Gun: Maverick' did not infringe on a magazine article that inspired the original 1986 film. The court ruled the film is not substantially similar to the 1983 article, dismissing claims from the original author's heirs for a share of profits.

A federal appeals court has delivered a definitive ruling on an intellectual property dispute involving the blockbuster film, 'Top Gun: Maverick'. On Friday, the court stated that the 2022 movie did not infringe upon a magazine article that laid the groundwork for the original 1986 'Top Gun' film.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California, clarified that 'Maverick', produced by Paramount Pictures, bore no substantial resemblance to 'Top Guns', the 1983 article authored by Ehud Yonay about the Navy's Top Gun fighter pilot training school. Despite having secured rights to the article for the 1986 film, the court found 'Maverick' to include distinct elements absent in the article.

Heirs of Yonay had sought profits from 'Maverick', citing similarities in plot and character. However, the court noted these similarities were abstract and unprotectable, leading to the ruling in favor of Paramount, which has also been defending another lawsuit concerning the film.