Film, TV & Streaming

Articles

What Survives the Filter: The Ninth Circuit's 'Top Gun: Maverick' Decision and the Limits of Substantial Similarity

In Yonay v. Paramount, the Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Paramount over 'Top Gun: Maverick,' holding that a film sharing a real Navy program with a 1983 magazine article copies facts, not protected expression.

May 7, 2026

Film, TV & Streaming

Elementary, After All: Klinger v. Conan Doyle Estate and the Public-Domain Character

Judge Posner held that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, as drawn in the pre-1923 stories, are free for anyone to use, rejecting the estate's 'complex character' copyright theory.

September 8, 2025

Film, TV & Streaming

Lightly Sketched: Why The Moodsters Lost to Inside Out in Daniels v. Disney

The Ninth Circuit applied its Batmobile test to deny copyright in 'The Moodsters' and rejected the creator's idea-submission claim against Disney's Inside Out.

May 19, 2025

Film, TV & Streaming

To the Batmobile: How DC Comics v. Towle Made a Car a Copyrightable Character

The Ninth Circuit held that the Batmobile is a copyrightable character, building a three-part test that now governs character protection for film and television.

February 10, 2025