They sell our dances back to us: the Fortnite emote suits
Record: the document says itPattern: documents line upOur lens: how we read itNext dig: help us find it
Year: 2018 · Places: Europe
RECORDin late 2018 the rapper 2 Milly sued Epic Games for selling his Milly Rock as a Fortnite dance. Alfonso Ribeiro (the Carlton), Russell Horning (the "Backpack Kid," the Floss) and the mother of the "Orange Shirt Kid" followed. The Copyright Office refused to register the Carlton, calling it a "simple dance routine." In March 2019 the Supreme Court ruled a copyright must be registered before anyone can sue, and the suits were dropped (Digital Music News, March 8, 2019)
PATTERNthe dance is made in our neighborhoods, filmed, then sold by someone else; the law calls the move too simple to own while the game sells it by the copy.
LENS (WW9)from the cakewalk on the minstrel stage to the Milly Rock in a video game, our moves are free when we make them and for sale when they take them.
OPENhow much Epic made from dance emotes made by our people.
SOURCEDigital Music News, "Will artists and gamers stop suing Epic Games over Fortnite dance moves?" (March 8, 2019); Atlas layer "Our dances."