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One video perfectly demonstrates why the folks behind 'Fortnite' are being sued over dance moves

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Will Smith and Alfonso Ribiero)
Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro. NBC

  • The actor who played Carlton on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," Alfonso Ribeiro, is suing Epic Games, the maker of "Fortnite."
  • Ribeiro is one of several people suing Epic Games; he claims that "Fortnite" copied a set of dance moves that originated with his character Carlton on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."
  • A video comparing the in-game dance with Ribeiro's version shows just how similar the two are.
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For six television seasons, Alfonso Ribeiro played Carlton on NBC's hit show "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."

Carlton was notoriously dorky and prone to breaking out in dance when he got excited. More specifically, Carlton was known to do "The Carlton" — a characteristic set of dance moves that remain a fixture in modern culture.

The internet is rife with GIFs of Ribeiro cutting a rug.

Ribeiro is so directly associated with the dance that, when he appeared on season 19 of "Dancing With the Stars" in 2014, he nailed a polished version of his classic "Fresh Prince" moves. Unsurprisingly, he and his partner Witney Carson won.

A version of Ribeiro's famous dance moves, dubbed "The Fresh," is even included in the massively popular game "Fortnite." Dance moves, of course, are a core component of the game; there are kids taking dance lessons specifically focused on "Fortnite."

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Ribeiro, however, recently joined a group of people who are suing Epic Games over the use of said dance moves.

One look at this short video comparison is all it takes to see why Ribeiro is suing:

On the left is the dance from "Fortnite," and on the right is Ribeiro in his performance on "Dancing With the Stars" from 2014.

Whether Ribeiro's claim will stand up legally remains to be seen, but, if nothing else, the video is a damning indictment in the court of public opinion.

On February 28, Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, joined 31 other media groups and filed a $2.3 billion suit against Google in Dutch court, alleging losses suffered due to the company's advertising practices.

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