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The Ninth Circuit kicked off 2026 with a major copyright decision in the long-running Top Gun dispute, affirming summary judgment for Paramount in the lawsuit over Top Gun: Maverick. In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin shareholders Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler break down the Ninth Circuit’s reasoning and why it matters for studios, writers, and anyone adapting real-world stories.
Continue reading Top Gun Cleared for Takeoff: The Ninth Circuit Affirms Paramount’s Copyright Win
As 2025 fades into the rearview mirror, many of the entertainment and media industry’s biggest legal questions remain unresolved. In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin partners 
In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin partners 
The Terrifier franchise is one of the most unlikely independent horror success stories of the last 25 years. But a new lawsuit challenges how the first film was made and raises serious questions about performer consent and on-set protections. In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin partners 
In this episode of The Briefing, 
After losing its anti-SLAPP motion, Warner Bros. has appealed in Roadrunner JMTC LLC v. Warner Bros. Television, the lawsuit brought by Michael Crichton’s estate claiming the new series The Pitt is an unauthorized derivative of ER.
When artistic identity meets corporate branding, where does copyright law draw the line?
A consent agreement can be a powerful tool to overcome a USPTO likelihood-of-confusion refusal—but only if it’s done right.
In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin attorneys 
Can a car, a superhero, or even a cartoon sidekick be protected by copyright? In this episode of The Briefing, 
A federal court has granted summary judgment for Nirvana, dismissing Spencer Elden’s claim that the Nevermind album cover — depicting him as a baby — constituted child pornography. In this episode of The Briefing,