i think there's a huge difference between copyright normal "body movements" and a creative set of movements that result in a unique dance move or dance routine. So if someone uses someone else dance routine to earn money without the creators blessing, they are opening themselves for a lawsuit imo.

this applies to all sorts of things like, using the same 2 or 3 music notes as another song is not copyright infringement, but a entire set of them surely does. so no one copyright two or three music notes but the entire music, so one or two movements can't be copyrighted but a entire set can be attributed to a certain person as the creator and hold the rights to it.

I have no idea what people are talking about when I read "copyrighting dances is bullshit, it's just body movement". In that case you shouldn't be able to copyright music either, it's just mouth movement or hands movement on an instrument, no value at all. The same thinking could be extended to anything, like design, paintings.... "You moved your hands, and I just did the same moves, you can't copyright body movement!"

If they sell stuff copying people, it's normal to at least ask the people involved. It's making money out of something someone else did, it's not just an homage. By the way, Ribeiro is not the only one suing, the article clearly says that other people are suing for other dances too. Fortnite makes a lot of money selling dozens of emotes directly copying dances from music videos or popular shows. You can't just say "Hey, look, that guy did something cool and people like it, let's put it in the game to make money!" without even thinking about asking permission or anything... That's pretty unprofessional from them.

And for those who still wonder if they really copied him:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzr5ROT7sAg

He has no real ground to stand on given he has admitted to borrowing a few of the moves from various places and just putting them together with his own spin on them. If he ends up winning, I wonder if another could come after him for the same dance...


Bloody fortnite...