Top Gun: Maverick Wins Appeals Court Battle Over Copyright Dispute

A federal appeals court ruled that Top Gun: Maverick did not infringe the magazine article that inspired the original Top Gun film. Despite claims from Ehud Yonay's heirs, the court found no substantial similarities with the article. Paramount was not required to credit Yonay in Maverick.

A federal appeals court has determined that the 2022 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick did not violate any copyrights related to the 1983 magazine article that inspired the original 1986 film. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California, ruled in favor of Paramount Pictures, stating that Maverick was not substantially similar to the article 'Top Guns' by Ehud Yonay.

Yonay's widow and son, who claim rights to his original work, argued they were owed part of the profits from Maverick. Their claims focused on thematic resemblances between the article and the film, both depicting the elite nature of fighter pilots in the U.S. Navy. However, the court highlighted significant differences in plot and character development, which ruled out the claims of substantial similarity.

The court emphasized that the legal arguments presented by Yonay's family were too abstract to protect under copyright laws. The judgment upheld a prior decision from April 2024 and clarified that Paramount did not breach any agreement regarding credits. Meanwhile, Paramount is facing a separate lawsuit in New York from screenwriter Shaun Gray over claims related to the film's content.

(With inputs from agencies.)