If I wanted to make up my own Svengali Decks or Wizard Decks, I could proceed to do so because the copyrights have lapsed.

What other manufactured tricks out there have lapsed copyrights and have entered public domain?

Dai Bato

Actualy, isn't the "Svengali" a patent?

I don't know about the name, but the deck itself was patented in 1925. However, I don't think there would be any problem making them. I was making them for a while and had some pretty cool packaging from them that included a fully scripted routine. Unfortunately, making my own was not very cost effective. I found I could buy good quality pre-made decks for less than I could buy the materials to make them. Plus, I didn't have to do any of the work.

Thanks,
Richard

Now that appeals to me!

Bob

I looked up this patent in my new book and a man by the name of William I. Davidson of Long Beach, CA was granted a patent (1,541,925) on 6/16/1925 for a "Svengali" type deck.

81 years to this day. I think your safe making your own decks!

Davidson's patent could have easily been invalidated. Burling Hull copyrighted the original Svengali deck, which he called The Improved Cards Mysterious, in 1909. But copyright was not the correct way to protect the trick, so it went into the public domain.

The pre-existence of this deck would have invalidated Davidson's patent, had anyone pursued it. But the patent has been dead for a very long time.

Make 'em.

What other manufactured tricks out there have lapsed copyrights and have entered public domain?

Dai Bato

Aha, theres the rub! If you want to make and sell tricks, look at what you think you could make, then see if there is a patent for it (lapsed or not) if there never was one, away you go! No-one can touch you for it. Look around, there are a few already 'at it'! That is the more simple route.