Who Owns a Meme?

A legal battle over Fortnite raises many questions without clear answers

Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty

There is no legal precedent for Backpack Kid, aka Russell Horning, the teenager who turned heads as the backup dancer du jour in a Katy Perry Saturday Night Live performance back in 2017. His mesmeric rhythm and aloof expression immediately went viral, and today we call his dance “the floss.”