By Tim Binnall
The owners of the mysterious Florida landmark Coral Castle are reportedly suing the makers of the wildly popular video game Fortnite after they introduced a realm in the game with the same name as the tourist attraction. Constructed over the course of nearly three decades by way of a process shrouded in secrecy, Edward Leedskalnin's sprawling limestone structure has long fascinated paranormal enthusiasts as some suspect that it was built using 'hidden knowledge' that allowed him to easily move the massive stones which comprise the complex.
The subject of numerous books, articles, movies, and television segments aimed at solving the mystery of how it was made, Coral Castle has become something of a cottage industry drawing thousands of visitors each year and offering all manner of merchandise at their gift shop. And so when a new Fortnite realm, dubbed 'Coral Castle,' was revealed earlier this month, the owners of the site took issue with the homage since the name of the attraction is trademarked. This, in turn, led to them filing a lawsuit against Epic Games, creators of Fortnite, over what they contend is a violation of that trademark.
Specifically, the suit argues that the Fortnite version of Coral Castle bears an uncanny resemblance to the real attraction, specifically "nautical/beach motifs, castle structures, partial castle walls, and stone objects." The filing also contends that "both also evoke the feeling of a centuries-old mysterious place." Asserting that the dual Coral Castles are apt to cause confusion to the public and ultimately hurt the Florida landmark's business, the owners of the site are asking a judge to hand down an injunction against the use of the name in Fortnite and order Epic Games to compensate them for what they believe are monetary damages over the alleged trademark infringement.