Dance as a copyright-protected work came under the international
spotlight over the last year in the USA.
Epic Games, Inc. creator of the hugely popular video game,
Fortnite, has faced a slew of legal suits based on copyright
infringement. In 2018, Epic Games released an update to Fortnite
that allowed players to obtain new dance moves or, in gaming lingo,
emotes. The avatars in the game perform a brief sequence of
gestures, like fist pumps, and dance steps to, inter alia,
celebrate victorious play. These victory dances, which are plainly
explained as a recreation of a dance (or part thereof) popularised
or inspired by celebrity persona, have become the subject of the
copyright disputes.
