There’s been a massive new development in the never-ending legal struggle against Fortnite, and it’s one that could be in Epic Games’ favor. Several lawsuits have been forced to be put on hold after a new ruling from the United States Supreme Court. The court ruled that in order to sue for copyright infringement, the plaintiff must first register the work in question with the U.S. Copyright Office. As none had yet to do so, they were forced to temporally drop their suits in order to comply with the ruling.
The ruling noted that the Fortnite dance lawsuits can still be filed even if the copyright is ultimately denied, but the process must be completed in one form or another in order to move forward. In theory, then, all lawsuits can be re-filed following this process, though it could prolong the entire affair. However, as Alfonso Ribeiro, who was one of the four parties suing Epic, was denied a copyright, that doesn’t bode well for the other three parties.
Ribeiro, rapper 2Milly, “Backpack Kid,” and “Orange Shirt Kid” pulled their cases following the Supreme Court’s ruling. All are represented by Pierce Bainbridge Beck Price & Hect. All four plan to re-file their lawsuits once the process is completed.
The move isn’t necessarily in Epic’s favor, however failing to secure a official copyright does make suing for copyright infringement a bit tougher. This is far from the only legal struggle Epic is finding itself in, either. It was sued over “predatory” loot boxes in Fortnite: Save the World. In addition, Epic is also taking some legal matters into its own hands, suing the organizers of the disastrous “Fortnite live” event.
[Source: PCGamesN]
