The sculpture garden is now making an appearance in the popular Fortnite Battle Royale online game, allegedly without permission.
Coral Castle Files Lawsuit Against Fortnite Developer Epic Games | Miami New Times click(function(w,d,t,u){ var a=d.createElement(t);a.async=1;a.src=u+"?url="+encodeURIComponent(w.location.href)+"&ref="+encodeURIComponent(d.referrer); var s=d.getElementsByTagName(t)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(a,s); })(window, document, 'script', 'https://a.ad.gt/api/v1/u/matches/359') We use cookies to collect and analyze information on site performance and usage, and to enhance and customize content and advertisements. By clicking 'Got it' or continuing to use the site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. To find out more, visit our cookies policy and our privacy policy. Got it! News Latest News News Archives Coronavirus Environmental Politics Food & Drink Latest Food & Drink Food & Drink Archives Food News Cocktails & Spirits Openings Restaurant Guide Top 100 Restaurants 2023 Best Bars 2022 Food & Drink Newsletter Arts & Culture Latest Arts & Culture Arts & Culture Archives Calendar Art Movie Times Arts & Culture Newsletter Music Latest Music Music Archives Concerts Local Music Concert Calendar Music Newsletter More Things to Do/Tickets Best of Miami 2022 Cannabis Slideshows Promotions Careerhub Lists New Times Careers Local Advertising Flipbook Archives Things To Do Newsletter Best Of Newsletter Voice Media Group New Times Broward-Palm Beach Dallas Observer Phoenix New Times Westword Coupons Captain Recipes From FamilystyleFood News Latest News News Archives Coronavirus Environmental Politics Food & Drink Latest Food & Drink Food & Drink Archives Food News Cocktails & Spirits Openings Restaurant Guide Top 100 Restaurants 2023 Best Bars 2022 Food & Drink Newsletter Arts & Culture Latest Arts & Culture Arts & Culture Archives Calendar Art Movie Times Arts & Culture Newsletter Music Latest Music Music Archives Concerts Local Music Concert Calendar Music Newsletter More Things to Do/Tickets Best of Miami 2022 Cannabis Slideshows Promotions Careerhub Lists New Times Careers Local Advertising Flipbook Archives Things To Do Newsletter Best Of Newsletter Voice Media Group New Times Broward-Palm Beach Dallas Observer Phoenix New Times Westword Coupons Captain Recipes From FamilystyleFood Support Us Miami's independent source of local news and culture account Welcome,Insider Login My Newsletters Contribute Contact Us Sign out News Homestead's Coral Castle Sues Fortnite Developer for Using Its Name Izzy Kapnick August 18, 2020 8:00AM Coral Castle is the name of a stage in Fortnite Battle Royale. Photo from Coral Castle Inc. v. Epic Games Inc., U.S. District Court [ { "name": "Related Stories / Support Us Combo", "component": "12278355", "insertPoint": "4", "requiredCountToDisplay": "6" },{ "name": "Air - Billboard - Inline Content", "component": "12278351", "insertPoint": "2/3", "requiredCountToDisplay": "7" }, { "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size 2", "component": "12278352", "insertPoint": "12", "requiredCountToDisplay": "12" },{ "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size 2", "component": "12278352", "insertPoint": "4th", "startingPoint": "16", "requiredCountToDisplay": "12" } ,{ "name": "RevContent - In Article", "component": "13536732", "insertPoint": "3/5", "requiredCountToDisplay": "5" } ] Homestead's Coral Castle has been steadily creeping into sci-fi pop culture over the last 60 years. Built by eccentric engineer Edward Leedskalnin, the limestone-megalith garden served as the set for the 1958 movie Wild Women of Wongo and the 1961 film Nude on the Moon. Pop-punk icon Billy Idol sang about the place. And more recently, it was featured on a 2014 episode of History Channel's Ancient Aliens, where guests ruminated on how Leedskalnin supposedly used levitation to move around the massive stones he needed for the project. A new lawsuit claims the sculpture garden is now making an appearance in the popular Fortnite Battle Royale online game, albeit without permission. (The suit was first reported by Polygon.) Related Stories The Ten Best Places to Go Stoned in Miami Taj Mahal Meets Stonehenge in Miami's Creepy/Romantic Coral Castle Stream Your Favorite Movies and Shows for Free While You're Stuck at Home I support Local Community Journalism Support the independent voice of Miami and help keep the future of New Times free. Support Us Keep New Times Free. Support Us Filed this past Friday in Miami federal court, the lawsuit alleges that developer Epic Games used the mythic castle as a stage in Fortnite before obtaining the required authorization from the property's current owner, Coral Castle Inc. The stage called "Coral Castle" is part of an online battleground recently released to Fortnite players. It includes "nautical/beach motifs, castle structures," and "stone objects" that are reminiscent of the Homestead tourist attraction, according to the lawsuit. Other locations on the map include "Sweaty Sands" and "Dirty Docks." The lawsuit claims that the virtual and real-life Coral Castles both "evoke the feeling of a centuries-old mysterious place." click to enlarge The Coral Castle Museum in Homestead. Photo by Matthew Dillon/Flickr The Coral Castle's owner says it holds registered and common-law trademarks for the Coral Castle name and that Epic Games "is utilizing the vast goodwill associated with the trademarks to promote the nautical theme" of the digital battleground. The case lists counts for trademark infringement, unfair competition, and violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Sneaky Way Dallas Seniors Are Getting Walk-in Tubs For A Fraction Of The PriceSmart Consumer UpdateThe Most Successful Attorneys in Dallas. See the ListFind Attorneys | Sponsored LinThe content you see here is paid for by the advertiser or content provider whose link you click on, and is recommended to you by Revcontent. As the leading platform for native advertising and content recommendation, Revcontent uses interest based targeting to select content that we think will be of particular interest to you. We encourage you to view your opt out options in Revcontent's Privacy PolicyWant your content to appear on sites like this?Increase Your Engagement Now!Want to report this publisher's content as misinformation?Submit a ReportGot it, thanks! Epic Games has not yet filed a response in court. The company did not respond to a request for comment from New Times. Epic has had success in the past two years fending off trademark-related lawsuits over Fortnite's use of popular dance moves in gameplay. Among those cases was a complaint filed by Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor Alfonso Ribeiro, who claimed Epic Games nicked his signature dance move "The Carlton" and sold it to players for use with their Battle Royale characters. Ribeiro dropped the suit after the federal trademark office denied him a copyright on the dance. According to Nielsen's SuperData review, Fortnite was the top-earning free-to-play game in 2019, hauling in an estimated $1.8 billion in revenue for Epic Games. In an unrelated move last week, Apple and Google removed the game from their respective app stores, saying Epic violated their rules by implementing its own billing system for in-game purchases. Having long criticized the commissions charged by the two tech giants, Epic bit back with a federal court action demanding that Fortnite be restored to the app stores' virtual shelves. As for the humble Coral Castle, the grounds remain closed on account of the coronavirus outbreak. Tickets ordinarily cost $18 for adults and $8 for kids under 12, with free entry to children aged six and younger. The story goes that the stone structures at the property were built by Leedskalnin, a lovesick Latvian immigrant, over a period of nearly three decades beginning in the 1920s. Leedskalnin purportedly excavated and shaped more than 2 million pounds of limestone for what he initially called Rock Gate Park. He lived a modest life on the grounds for years, leading personal tours. Still displayed in the sculpture garden is a stone admission sign dating back to the attraction's early days. Above a rusty pipe, it reads: "Adm. 10 cents. Drop below." KEEP MIAMI NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started Miami New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Izzy Kapnick is the news editor at Miami New Times. He has worked as a legal news reporter in South Florida since 2008, covering environmental law, white-collar crime, and the healthcare industry. Contact: Izzy Kapnick Trending Arts & Culture Oh, Baby! Museum of Sex Is Coming to AllapattahEyes on Miami: Alex Rodriguez, Maluma, Marysol Patton, and OthersGamers, Rise Up! A New Esports Venue Is Opening in Wynwood Sponsored Content From: [%sponsoredBy%] [%title%] PLAY Top Articles 00:36 Video Settings Full Screen About Connatix V209100 Meteorologists Agree: It's Hot AFin Miami 1/1 Skip Ad Continue watching after the ad Visit Advertiser websiteGO TO PAGE Don't Miss Out SIGN UP for the latest arts & culture news, free stuff and more! Join Today Sign Up Become a member to support the independent voice of South Florida and help keep the future of New Times FREE I Support Learn More Around the WebSee the Golden State Through Rose-colored GlassesVisit CaliforniaMust-see Spots Across Southern CaliforniaVisit CaliforniaHow to Explore the Best of Orange CountyVisit CaliforniaSo You Think You Know Anaheim? 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} LGBTQ Grindr Founder’s New Queer Dating App Aims to Reshape Hookup Culture Jesse Fraga December 23, 2022 8:00AM Motto alerts users at 5 p.m. daily with a new batch of profiles. Screenshot provided by Motto [ { "name": "Related Stories / Support Us Combo", "component": "12278355", "insertPoint": "4", "requiredCountToDisplay": "6" },{ "name": "Air - Billboard - Inline Content", "component": "12278351", "insertPoint": "2/3", "requiredCountToDisplay": "7" }, { "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size 2", "component": "12278352", "insertPoint": "12", "requiredCountToDisplay": "12" },{ "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size 2", "component": "12278352", "insertPoint": "4th", "startingPoint": "16", "requiredCountToDisplay": "12" } ,{ "name": "RevContent - In Article", "component": "13536732", "insertPoint": "3/5", "requiredCountToDisplay": "5" } ] Ever find yourself aimlessly scrolling for the perfect match? Tired of the orthodox DTF (down to fuck) message sent from anonymous profiles? Scroll no more. Joel Simkhai, founder of the gay hookup app Grindr, and Alex Hostetler have launched a new queer dating app, Motto, which aims to improve the process of dating and hookup culture. "Our goal is to make Motto the best app for people who are looking for a more guided sort of premium or elevated experience, something that feels more cognizant of how people interact with each other," says Simkhai. "The process feels more open and humane." Motto first launched in February with Miami as its first city, followed by New York City. However, a recent update in September changed the matchmaking experience entirely. Users are only able to view five to ten profiles per day in an effort to cut down screen time. The queue repopulates at 5 p.m. daily with a different batch of possible matches. Related Stories South Florida LGBTQ Leaders React to Club Q Shooting ViiV Healthcare Funds $8 Million for Black Women Living with HIV/AIDS Ariana Grande Funds First TransSocial Facilities in South Florida I support Local Community Journalism Support the independent voice of Miami and help keep the future of New Times free. Support Us Keep New Times Free. Support Us During Simkhai's time as CEO of Grindr from 2009 to 2018, he found users would spend almost a month's time every year actively scrolling on Grindr. "I probably spent a year of my life, or some ridiculous amount over the last 13 years, on Grindr," he tells New Times. "It's embarrassing sometimes. I'd get sucked into these vortexes of time, and then you think, what's the return on all this, and what did I get out of it?" By contrast, Simkhai and Hostetler hope users will spend just a few minutes a day on Motto. "We're tired of this endless scrolling where you're constantly looking to see who else is popping up," Simkhai says. "With Grindr, I think we made it a lot easier to date, but it was a manhunt just to meet someone online. It was really archaic." He encourages users to plan more time together in real life than on searches from behind a screen. The app is somewhat exclusive in that Simkhai and Hostetler manually verify each profile before users can start to match. Users are required to include their name, neighborhood, and at least three photos that show their face. Another way is to receive a referral code from an existing user. For now, the app only verifies accounts made in Miami-Dade and NYC, though there are plans to expand. Once approved, users can personalize their bios based on height, weight, ethnicity, smoking habits, preferred sex position, date of birth, pronouns, and gender. Pronoun options are he/him, she/her, they/them, "prefer not to say," and a blank space to write in. For now, gender options are limited to man, trans man, woman, trans woman, and nonbinary. "The majority of our users are cisgender gay men, but we do have trans and nonbinary people. We're thrilled to have them, and we'd love to h… truncated (12,726 more characters in archive)