Two major video games are feeling legal heat from two major dance icons who say their footwork was lifted.
Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, filed lawsuits against the companies behind Fortnite Battle Royale and NBA 2K, accusing them of jacking “The Carlton” dance he popularized on the sitcom.
In a lawsuit filed against Epic Games in federal court in California on Monday, the actor claims the company has “unfairly profited from exploiting Ribeiro’s protected creative expression and likeness and celebrity without his consent” with to its “unauthorized use of Ribeiro’s highly popular signature dance” in Fortnite.
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The dance, according to the suit, was created by Ribeiro in 1991 and first performed in the episode Will’s Christmas Show. More than two decades later, it adds, the dance still remains “distinctive, immediately recognizable, and inextricably linked to Ribeiro’s identity, celebrity, and likeness.”
Ribeiro claims that Epic infringed on his dance by selling it as an in-game purchase in Fortnite under the name “Fresh,” which makes players’ avatars have the moves like Carlton. But Epic’s not just feeling the wrath of Ribeiro…
Russell Horning, AKA Backpack Kid, is also accusing Fortnite and NBA 2K of ripping off his signature move: The Floss. The dancer’s mom filed the lawsuit on behalf of the 16-year-old, who rose to notoriety in 2016 after Katy Perry caught wind of his Instagram dances and put him in her music video.
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The teen viral sensation is also suing 2K Sports, the company behind NBA 2K, for unspecified damages, claiming it also stole his routine. Backpack Kid recently told TMZ that he doesn’t care about getting money from the company; he just wants the games to stop ripping off his moves.
We managed to dig up actual footage of the litigation being served:
Yikes. We’ll see how this legal battle unfolds.
[Image via Instagram/Nicky Nelson/WENN.]
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