Paramount Pictures is being sued for infringement of copyright

The family of the Israeli writer who wrote the article that inspired Tom Cruise’s 1986 film “Top Gun” has sued Paramount Pictures for copyright infringement.

When the “Top Gun: Maverick” series was released last month, it was said that the studio did not own the rights to Ehud Yonay’s 1983 “Top Guns” story. In 10 days since its launch, it has grossed $ 548 million (£ 438 million) worldwide.

Read more: Paramount pictures sued over ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ copyright

Paramount has vowed to oppose the complaint, saying it is “unfounded.” Top Gun: Maverick Cruise sees US Navy pilot Pete “Maverick” reprise the role of Mitchell in the original 1986 film.

It was the fourth weekend since the opening of any Covid-era film, with the best-selling “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” the second place in “Dr. Strange in the World ”and then“ Batman ”. Ehud’s widow and sons, Shosh and Yuval Yonai, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday, claiming that the United States cannot restore rights to the Paramount Ehud article, which was terminated under copyright law.

They are asking the studio for an unspecified number of losses, including a cash prize for Top Gun: Maverick. According to the court, Paramount’s Top Gun franchise would not have existed without Ehud’s “literary effort and impressive prose and narrative.”

Read more: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ earns $86 million in big second weekend

In court, Jonas told Paramount in 2018 that his rights to Ehud’s articles would end in two years. The studio also lost copyright for the work in January 2020.

Jonah’s lawyer, Mark Toberof, told the a news channel: “Paramount wanted to say something different, but after losing their copyright they made a sequel to Top Gun.” “These allegations are unfounded and we will take a firm stand,” Paramount said in a statement.