‘Top Gun: Maverick’ lawsuit grounded again as judge backs Paramount, Clears path for counterclaims
A judge dismissed a copyright lawsuit against ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ siding with Paramount and allowing the studio's counterclaims to proceed.Summary
A U.S. federal judge has dismissed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Paramount Pictures regarding the film ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ bolstering the studio’s legal standing and paving the way for its counterclaims. The lawsuit, brought by Shaun Gray, who claimed he contributed to the script, was rejected by Judge Jed Rakoff, who found Gray’s copyright claim invalid and that Paramount had no knowledge of his alleged involvement. The court emphasized that ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is based on Paramount’s existing intellectual property from the original ‘Top Gun’ film. Paramount alleges that Gray intentionally concealed his work to devalue their intellectual property, and the judge has allowed their fraud counterclaim to proceed to trial. This ruling, along with recent appellate setbacks in related lawsuits, suggests the franchise is now legally secure for future development.
(Source：The Times Of India)