Two high-profile cases of alleged copyright infringement were initiated in the United States this month.

First up, the family of Ehud Yonay is suing Paramount Pictures for alleged copyright infringement regarding the recently released Top Gun: Maverick. Yonay wrote a 1983 article entitled “Top Guns” on which the original 1986 Top Gun movie was partly based.  The Yonays claim that Paramount Pictures lost the rights to the article by notice of termination in 2020.  Top Gun: Maverick was initially slated to release in 2019 but was delayed to 2022, due at least in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The suit claims non-specified damages, including profits from the new movie.

Elsewhere, songwriter Andy Stone of the band Vince Vance and the Valiants is suing Mariah Carey and co-writer Walter Afanasieff for alleged copyright infringement over Carey’s 1994 “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Vince Vance and the Valiants released a song having the same title in 1989.  Apart from both songs containing the line “All I want for Christmas is you”, the songs have different lyrics and melodies.  The suit claims damages of USD $20 Million.

For more on the Top Gun case, please see here.

For more on the Carey-Stone case, please see here.