Paramount Triumphs: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Lawsuit Thrown Out
Paramount Pictures has emerged victorious in a legal battle surrounding its 2022 blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick,” as a U.S. District Judge dismissed claims that the film infringed upon a 1983 magazine article that inspired the original “Top Gun” movie. The ruling by Judge Percy Anderson in Los Angeles deemed the sequel not “substantially similar” to the article by Ehud Yonay, titled “Top Guns,” which chronicled the U.S. Navy’s Top Gun fighter pilot training school in San Diego.
The heirs of Ehud Yonay, the author of the original article, had filed a lawsuit against Paramount, alleging that “Top Gun: Maverick” borrowed extensively from Yonay’s work and thus, they were entitled to a share of the sequel’s profits. However, Judge Anderson ruled in favor of Paramount, stating that the sequel did not infringe upon the copyright of the original article.
The judge highlighted that copyright law does not protect factual elements, familiar plot elements, or common themes shared between the two works. He emphasized that while both works involve pilots and flying-related themes, the specific expression and execution differed significantly.
Despite the legal controversy, “Top Gun: Maverick” enjoyed immense commercial success, grossing over US$1.5 billion worldwide and becoming Tom Cruise’s highest-grossing film to date. The movie’s performance underscores its popularity among audiences globally.
Paramount’s legal team asserted that the sequel did not unlawfully appropriate elements from Yonay’s article and was not obligated to credit Yonay in the film, especially after the termination of the studio’s exclusive rights to his work in 2020.
The dismissal of the lawsuit marks a significant victory for Paramount Pictures, affirming the originality and distinctiveness of “Top Gun: Maverick” in relation to its source material. Despite the legal dispute, the film’s remarkable box office success solidifies its status as a cinematic phenomenon and a testament to Tom Cruise’s enduring appeal as an action star.
