Ehud Yonay: Last News

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Paramount filed a motion on Friday to dismiss a lawsuit that claims that “Top Gun: Maverick” infringes on the copyright of the 1983 magazine article that was the source material for the original film. Shosh and Yuval Yonay, the widow and son of writer Ehud Yonay, filed the suit in June, arguing that the studio made the sequel without first renewing the rights to the article. In the motion to dismiss, Paramount argued that it did not need to obtain the rights, because “Top Gun: Maverick” is a work of fiction that has almost nothing in common with the non-fiction article and that the facts and ideas conveyed in the article cannot be copyrighted.

The nearly two-year old dogfight between Paramount and the family of the writer of the 1983 article that inspired the franchise is over.

borrowed too much from a 1983 magazine article that inspired the original “Top Gun” film.In a decision on Friday, US District Judge Percy Anderson in Los Angeles said the sequel was not “substantially similar” to Ehud Yonay’s “Top Guns,” about the US Navy’s Top Gun fighter pilot training school in San Diego.Yonay’s widow Shosh Yonay and son Yuval Yonay, the heirs to his copyright, said they deserved some of the sequel’s profits, after Paramount built a billion-dollar franchise off an article that “breathed life into the technical humdrum of a navy base.”Lawyers for the Yonays did not immediately respond on Monday to requests for comment.

Paramount has come up short in its effort to ground a Top Gun: Maverick copyright lawsuit.

"Top Gun: Maverick," although extremely successful, grossing around $295 million at the domestic box office, now has a legal battle on their hands.  Paramount was hit with a copyright lawsuit by the family of the author behind the original story used for the "Top Gun."  A spokesperson from Paramount Pictures told FOX News Digital, "these claims are without merit, and we will defend ourselves vigorously."  The lawsuit was filed by Shosh and Yuval Yonay on Monday in California.The Yonays are the heirs of Ehud Yonay, the author of the 1983 article "Top Guns." The storyline for the original "Top Gun" film was based off the article. Tom Cruise is pictured here at the UK Premiere "Top Gun: Maverick." Cruise is not being personally sued.  (Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage) "It’s definitely an interesting case, given it's a much-loved property with a high-profile cast and massive budget." entertainment lawyer Rod Lindblom, who is not involved with the lawsuit, told FOX News Digital.

Top Gun: Maverick is at the centre of a lawsuit after Paramount was sued by the heirs of the author who wrote the article the original film was based on.Released in 1986, the original movie, starring Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer, was based on an California magazine article about Navy fighter pilots by Ehud Yonay, who died in 2012.His widow, Shosh Yunay, and son Yuval Yonay, filed a notice in 2018 reclaiming the copyright to the story, which took effect in 2020.They have argued in their lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles, that Paramount distributed Top Gun: Maverick without obtaining a new license to the material, according to Variety.They’re seeking damages and an injunction that would bar Paramount from distributing the film.Paramount said in a statement: ‘These claims are without merit, and we will defend ourselves vigorously.’To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 videoIn the US, authors have the right to terminate transfers of copyright after 35 years.Top Gun: Maverick started production in May 2018. It was originally due for release in 2019, before being delayed until 2020 and then for another two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Good morning aviators,” says Tom Cruise in a line from blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. “This is your captain speaking. Today’s exercise is dogfighting.”

Paramount was hit with a copyright lawsuit by the family of the author behind the original story used for the "Top Gun" franchise, Fox News Digital can confirm. The "Top Gun" lawsuit was filed by Shosh and Yuval Yonay on Monday in California, according to The Hollywood Reporter.The Yonays are the heirs of Ehud Yonay, the author of the 1983 article "Top Guns." The storyline for the original "Top Gun" film was based off the article. The Yonays have claimed that Paramount's rights to the article ended in 2020.The family alleged that filming for "Top Gun: Maverick" was not completed until May 8, 2021.

The family of the author whose article inspired the 1986 Tom Cruise movie “Top Gun” on Monday sued Paramount Pictures for copyright infringement over this year’s blockbuster sequel “Top Gun: Maverick”.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterThe original “Top Gun” was based on a 1983 article in California magazine. On Monday, the author’s heirs sued Paramount Pictures, claiming that the studio is profiting wildly from the sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick,” even though it no longer holds the copyright to the magazine story.The article’s author, Ehud Yonay, died in 2012.