Ever since Fortnite became a cultural phenomenon, many gamers have been asking Epic Games to add special dances and other forms of expression to the experience. While the company has obliged, it seems like certain moves are the property of certain celebrities. Who knew you could launch lawsuits over dance moves?
Two of the most popular emotes in Fortnite are "The Carlton" and "Floss" dance. If you've seen The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, you may remember Alfonso Ribeiro's iconic moves. Floss is a little more obscure as it was initially performed by Instagram's Russell Horning.
The creators of The Carlton and Floss are currently involved in a legal battle with Epic Games over the use of their dances in Fortnite. While it's unclear how far these lawsuits will go, it seems like one company was sufficiently scared. According to a report by Kotaku, yesterday's Forza Horizon 4 update removed both dances from the game.
It's unclear why Microsoft took this step as we haven't heard anything about a lawsuit directed at the company. However, it may have recieved a cease and desist notice. Additionally, Microsoft may have preemptively removed the dances in order to avoid the lawsuits Epic Games is facing. Kotaku wouldn't manage to get a concrete response from the company when the outlet reached out.
We'll keep you posted as soon as we know how these lawsuits are decided. In many situations, the two parties decide to settle out of court as it beats paying legions of lawyers for months. What do you think about this? Should dance moves be protected like this? Let us know.
