Epic Games sure does have a knack for Hip-Hop-like moves. According to TMZ, after being exposed by BlocBoy JB for jacking his “Shoot” dance and earning a lawsuit from 2 Milly from mishandling his “Milly Rock” sway, Alfonso Ribeiro is taking legal action against the creators of Fortnite for copying his iconic Fresh Prince of Bel-Air move.
On Monday, the famed Fresh Prince actor filed a suit against the developers of Fortnite, Epic Games, accusing them of biting off the dance his character Carlton Banks made popular throughout the classic series six-year run. According to court documents, Ribeiro states that the popular multi-player game released a new dance for game characters called the “Fresh emote” and it is identical to the signature dance he displayed throughout the ’90s on the Fresh Prince sitcom.
His attorney, David Hecht told the online tabloid about the legitimacy of Alfonso’s suit, overall acknowledging Epic Games alleged improper use. “It is widely recognized that Mr. Ribeiro’s likeness and intellectual property have been misappropriated by Epic Games in the most popular video game currently in the world, Fortnite,” said Hecht. “Epic has earned record profits off of downloadable content in the game, including emotes like ‘Fresh.’ Yet Epic has failed to compensate or even ask permission from Mr. Ribeiro for the use of his likeness and iconic intellectual property.”
Alfonso also revealed he is currently undergoing the process of copyrighting the renowned Carlton Banks dance move, ultimately leaving no room for denial. The lawsuit is reportedly nearly identical to that of 2 Milly being the common cause of intellectual theft. With this being Fortnite’s third accusation, the game’s popularity has not necessarily suffered as of yet, but only time will tell.
