Ribeiro Drops Lawsuit Against Fortnite Developer Epic Games
The legal battle between actor Alfonso Ribeiro and Fortnite: Battle Royale developer Epic Games has reportedly reached a quiet resolution.
Ribeiro, known for his role as Carlton on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, filed a lawsuit in December over the dance emote “Fresh” in Fortnite, which appears to be inspired by Carlton’s iconic dance on the show. However, Ribeiro has now dropped the lawsuit, according to Metro.
According to Metro, the official court documents state that “this action is dismissed by the Plaintiff(s) in its entirety.”
This may not come as a surprise to those following the story. Last month, TMZ reported that Ribeiro was informed that he does not own the copyright to the Carlton dance.
TMZ wrote, “A registration specialist for the U.S. Copyright Office told Alfonso’s attorney that the actor’s bid to secure the rights to the dance is being denied. The copyright professional stated that Alfonso’s moves amount to nothing more than a ‘simple dance routine’.”
Ribeiro also attempted to sue NBA 2K18 developer Take-Two Interactive for using the Carlton dance in the game, but it is unclear if that case is still ongoing or if he has withdrawn the lawsuit.