The Copyright Office Says Alfonso Ribeiro Can’t Own ‘The Carlton Dance’
Unfortunately, Alfonso Rebeiro can’t own his “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” character’s dance because the U.S. Copyright Office rejected his attempt to own ‘The Carlton Dance.’
A registration specialist said it was denied because the moves are a “simple dance routine.” Quote, “The dancer sways their hips as they step from side to side, while swinging their arms in an exaggerated manner . . .
“In the second dance step, the dancer takes two steps to each side while opening and closing their legs and their arms in unison.
“In the final step, the dancer’s feet are still and they lower one hand from above their head to the middle of their chest while fluttering their fingers. The combination of these three dance steps is a simple routine that is not registrable as a choreographic work.”
Alfonso was trying to lay a claim to the Carlton Dance because he’s suing the creators of the games “Fortnite” and “NBA 2K” for using it without his permission.
For what it’s worth, Alfonso didn’t attempt to copyright the dance before now, and he’s also said it was inspired by Courteney Cox’s dancing in Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” video and an Eddie Murphy comedy routine.
