BlocBoy JB is the latest to sue Epic over a 'Fortnite' dance
He says the 'Hype' dance is a rip-off of his well-known 'Shoot.'
No, artists still aren't done suing Epic Games for allegedly violating copyright by using their dances in Fortnite. TMZ has learned that BlocBoy JB is suing Epic for reportedly copying his "Shoot" dance with the "Hype" emote in the battle royale game. Like Fresh Prince star Alfonso Ribiero, BlocBoy said he didn't have the copyright yet but was in the midst of securing it. And like before, there's no doubt that the dance is similar -- the question is whether or not there's a case.
BlocBoy will have to demonstrate that he either originated the dance or made it popular. Beyond that, he'll also have to show that the dance is both long enough to be copyrightable (that's typically reserved for whole routines) and that he can lay claim without having the copyright already in hand. That's a lot of "ifs," and a court might decide there isn't enough here to warrant going forward.
Even so, this illustrates a mounting problem for Epic. Whether or not its dance uses are above-board, it's attracting a lot of legal attention thanks to Fortnite's success. We wouldn't be surprised if still more artists came out of the woodwork with claims, whether they have legitimate concerns or just hope to ride on Fortnite's coattails.
