Kelley Heyer, a creator of Tiktok’s content, sued the video game Roblox for using her dance with Charli XCX “Apple” without permission.
Heyer published the viral dance in June 2024, which fed on the Hype of the Summer Album of Charli XCX “Brat”. Dance has become so popular that Charli XCX has incorporated into her live show and even invited Heyer to perform in the dance to her show in New York City.
Fortnite and Roblox, two popular success games among children, each has incorporated the dance in their games, allowing players to buy dance “emotional” for their avatar to perform. But while Fortnite obtained Heyer’s permit to authorize his choreography, claims that Roblox has not signed an agreement to do it.
“Roblox went on using Kelley’s IP without an agreement signed. Kelley is an independent creator who should be compensated fairly for his work and we have not seen any other option except to present it to prove it,” said Miki Anzai, Heyer’s lawyer. “We remain willing and open to settle and we hope to reach a peaceful agreement”.
According to Polygon, Heyer estimates that Roblox has gained over $ 123,000 from the sale of over 60,000 “Apple” dance emotions.
“As a platform fueled by a community of creators, Roblox takes the protection of intellectual property very seriously and is committed to protecting the intellectual property rights of developers and independent creators to brands and artists both inside and outside the platform,” said Roblox in a note.
