Fresh Prince of Bel Air star 'told he cannot copyright the Carlton dance' used in NBA2K16 and Fortnite

Alfonso Ribeiro who played Carlton in the Fresh Prince of Bel Air has been denied copyright for a signature dance move performed by his character in the show.

Mr Ribeiro has been attempting to sue two videogame makers over the "Carlton dance".

A denial from the US Copyright Office was revealed on Wednesday, in a motion to dismiss his lawsuit against Take-Two Interactive, the makers of NBA 2K16, which Ribeiro says illegally makes use of the dance.

The document denying the copyright says the moves in the "Carlton" represent a simple dance routine rather than a work of choreography.

This, it said, means it cannot be copyrighted.

A hearing on the motion to dismiss is scheduled for March 18.

Mr Ribeiro's dance was popularized through his character, Carlton Banks, on the 1990s sitcom which starred Will Smith.

Mr Ribeiro is also suing Epic Games over the use of the dance in "Fortnite," joining several rappers suing the game over dances.