In Fortnite: Battle Royale there is again trouble regarding dances. Now a star from the 90s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” has also filed a lawsuit against Epic, claiming they have stolen his dance.
Which dance is it about? In the 90s series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” although Will Smith was the star, Carlton, the cousin of his character, was also hard to miss. This was partly due to his awkward way of dancing, which became world-famous in the 90s as the “Carlton Dance.”
What does the dance look like in Fortnite? In Fortnite, there is a fairly similar dance emote titled “Fresh.” The movements correspond roughly to Carlton’s antics in the series.
The title of the dance is also a clear reference to the series that is known in the USA as “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
Actor sues Epic Games
What steps are being taken against Epic Games? Since the dance is the intellectual property of Carlton actor Alfonso Ribeiro, he has apparently now filed a lawsuit against the Fortnite developer Epic Games. Additionally, Ribeiro is claiming ownership of the dance and is also suing 2K, the publisher of the sports game NBA 2K, as they are also using the Carlton Dance.
Ribeiro’s lawsuit is also virtually identical to the lawsuit of rapper 2 Milly and is also being brought by the same law firm.
2 Milly also feels violated in his copyright by Epic, as they are allegedly marketing his dance “Milly Rock” in Fortnite without his permission and without paying royalties.
2 Milly and other rappers also accuse Epic of specifically profiting from the culture of black artists and ruining their livelihoods.
How promising are the lawsuits? Copyrights on dances and other moves are hardly upheld in court, as body movements are difficult to copyright. Only a complete dance choreography has according to Wired so far had a chance of success, but not individual dance moves.
Therefore, similar lawsuits in the past have had little success. Not even Michael Jackson was able to patent his famous Moon Walk.
Moreover, according to Ribeiro himself in 2015, the Carlton Dance is also not solely his invention. Rather, he combined the dance from various moves by Bruce Springsteen, Courtney Cox, and Eddie Murphy.
What does Epic say about the lawsuits? In response to inquiries from various media, Epic Games did not provide a comment. They do not comment on ongoing legal matters.
