‘Top Gun’ Writer Can’t Duck Paramount’s Copyright, Fraud Claims

A writer accusing Paramount Global of infringing scenes he wrote for the film “Top Gun: Maverick” failed to convince a judge to toss the studio’s fraud and copyright counterclaims.

Paramount plausibly accused plaintiff Shaun Gray of fraudulently concealing his contributions to the script until after the film’s release to create leverage, Judge Jed S. Rakoff ruled in a Monday order in US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Paramount also plausibly alleged Gray’s contributions infringed “Top Gun” material to which he had no rights, Rakoff said. His order provided no reasoning, and Rakoff said he’d issue an ...