This time, a lawsuit has been filed against Sony.
The lawsuit was initiated by Darrin Henson, a choreographer for the popular early 2000s group NSYNC. He was dissatisfied that the dance he choreographed for the song "Bye Bye Bye" appeared first in the film "Deadpool and Wolverine," and later in Fortnite as a themed emote.
In the lawsuit, Henson noted that Marvel Studios and Epic Games obtained licenses to use elements of the dance from Sony's music division. However, he is convinced that Sony did not have the authority to issue them. The choreographer reminded that NSYNC first performed this dance back in 1999, and he never signed any agreements transferring his rights.
Henson added that he initially tried to resolve the issue amicably, but Sony refused to make concessions. Sony allegedly stated that it could manage the dance at its discretion, as it holds the copyrights to the "Bye Bye Bye" music video.
Interestingly, the dance emote in Fortnite was available for only a few days. It was added to the game on September 24, 2024, and removed on September 29, 2024.
Dance emotes in Fortnite have been the subject of legal disputes several times before, but until now, the lawsuits were directed at Epic Games. Typically, plaintiffs argued that the company had unlawfully copied elements of certain dances.