‘Fresh Prince’ star sues video game makers over dance move
Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton Banks in the NBC sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, is suing two video game companies for allegedly infringing his copyright and likeness.
The suits were filed in the US District Court for the District of California on Monday, December 17.
The dispute targets video game makers Epic Games and Take-Two Interactive for featuring a variation of the ‘Carlton Dance’ in their “Fortnite” and “NBA 2K16” games, respectively.
Ribeiro’s character performed the dance in the sitcom, which aired from 1990 to 1996, and a similar move is available in both games as a purchasable add-on.
Players can buy the dance for their in-game characters to perform. A move resembling Ribeiro’s dance is available as ‘So Fresh’ in “NBA 2K16” and ‘Fresh’ in “Fortnite”.
The actor cited claims that “Fortnite” has raised between $1 billion and $2 billion in revenue from the sale of in-game “emotes”. The suit claimed that the word ‘fresh’ was a direct link to the sitcom, and “implied an endorsement of that in-game purchase by Ribeiro”.
Ribeiro alleged that the inclusion of the dance without his consent exploited his likeness and copyright. The actor applied to register three variations of the dance with the US Copyright Office (17226013364, 1-7226013290, and 1-7225814191) on Saturday, December 15, two days before filing the suits.
In the suits, Ribeiro accused both companies of exploiting the IP of numerous African-American artists by using their “dances and movements” and selling them without permission.
Earlier this month, WIPR reported that rapper Milly Rock also sued Epic Games, accusing it of exploiting his dance without permission.
Ribeiro is seeking an injunction to prevent both companies from further use of the dance in their games, as well as damages and costs.
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