9th Circ. Affirms Paramount’s Win In ‘Top Gun’ IP Fight

By Editorial Team

The Ninth Circuit recently affirmed Paramount’s victory in a copyright lawsuit related to the studio’s 2022 film “Top Gun: Maverick.” The lawsuit alleged that the blockbuster movie failed to credit a journalist whose article inspired the original 1986 film. The court found that the similarities between the sequel and the article were too abstract to be protected under copyright law.

Paramount Pictures Corp. was represented by law firms Greines Martin and O’Melveny & Myers, while Toberoff & Associates represented the journalist. The case was heard by Judge Percy Anderson at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Despite the allegations, the court ruled in favor of Paramount, stating that the similarities between the article and the movie were not substantial enough to warrant copyright protection. This decision marks a significant win for Paramount in the intellectual property dispute.

For more details on the case, the full decision can be accessed through the attached documents.