Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor Alfonso Ribeiro denied 'Carlton dance' copyright claim

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Alfonso Ribeiro has been told he can't copyright the "Carlton dance" his character performed in the hit US sitcom.

Ribeiro, who played Will Smith's pretentious cousin Carlton Banks in the '90s TV show, had tried to sue two computer game makers over the routine.

The US Copyright Office's denial of the claim was revealed in a motion to dismiss Ribeiro's lawsuit against Take-Two Interactive.

The company created the basketball game NBA 2K16, which the actor alleged illegally makes use of the dance.

But, it was found the "Carlton" move represents a simple dance routine rather a work of choreography that can be copyrighted.

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

Ribeiro's dance, part of which involves a swinging of the arms and a swaying of the hips, was popularised through his character in the long-running show.

He's also suing Epic Games over the use of the dance in shooter-survival game Fortnite, joining several rappers taking action against the game over dances.