This Is Definitely Unusual
Famous Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor, Alfonso Ribeiro, has recently filed lawsuits against both Fortnite developer Epic Games and NBA 2K publisher 2K Games for allegedly stealing the famous dance of his character on the 90s sitcom, Carlton Banks, and using it in their games without properly compensating him.
Ribeiro has also claimed that he’s currently in the process of copyrighting the dance.
“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,” Ribeiro’s attorney, David Hecht, told TMZ.
“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,” Hecht also said.
Notably, Hecht is also representing New York rapper 2 Milly in another lawsuit against Epic Games for allegedly stealing his signature “Milly Rock” dance for use in Fortnite.
Epic Games and Take-Two Interactive (which owns 2K Games) have both declined to comment on Ribeiro’s lawsuit.
What do you think of this news? Do you think either lawsuit is justified or not? Let us know your thoughts & opinions on this news story in the comments section below.