Randy,

My point was not the purchase rights or effect lineage but how the "idea' of another magician was marketed. If someone without the stature of Shawn F. had marketed the same "item" using statements such as, "A unique "version" of the Danny Korem/Jerry Andrus Omni Deck" the magic referees would have been all over him screaming foul!

Andrus did not do a "version" of a magic effect using the deck! It was a tool to illustrate his point concerning how we as humans formulate assumptions. So any claim by Shawn "implying" that what he does is a version of anything Andrus' did is not a true statement, I am sure it helps sell, but it's tommy-rot. Yes, the average person reading the advertisements would get that impression. Secondly, Shawn's statement "I believe in my heart" (somebody get the Kleenex) that Andrus would approve that he (Shawn) profits off his (Andrus')idea is a little shady...in my opinion since Andrus is gone and we have no way to substantiate anything. Come on, if some other magician used a line like that after marketing a Vernon or Tommy Wonder (fill-in whomever) effect he or she would be called on the carpet by the magic community so fast it would make heads spin. Lastly, Andrus, correct me if I am wrong here, never patented the clear deck piece, so Shawn's purchasing the rights applies to Korem's materials. Hmmm, I wonder when Shawn came out with the deck...before or after Andrus passed?

I seem to remember not too long ago Shawn along with many people were in a tizzy about the possibility that others had reinvented his sealed deck effect. Shawn seems to get quite nit-picky about issues like the above when it suits his purposes. If someone had marketed a sealed deck effect with the tag line "A unique version of the Shawn F. deck!" Then made the statement, "I believe in my heart that Shawn would approve!" Shawn would be so beside himself in anger, he would probably usher in the Apocalypse. It's funny how "situational ethics" are prevalent even in magic.

This is just another case of how personages are allowed to break unspoken rules but if done by anyone else...whoa unto them!

John

Here's another advertisement for the Omni Deck, from Hank Lee's website, NOT Shawn's but it makes my point about using another's name in marketing.

"From the "fertile mind of Jerry Andrus" and Danny Korem comes "this Ambitious Card routine" with a surprise ending!" (Quotation marks added)

It's always the same principle...use whatever you can get away with to profit and then scream bloody murder when someone else does it.

John

Greetings to All,

The following is what I feel is a needed update to the above postings. A few days ago Shawn Farquar contacted me and asked if we could talk in reference to my postings. He then called me and we had a rather long conversation on several points.

First let me predicate the following on this statement: Shawn never asked me to write this, nor did he even imply that I should. I told him that I felt I needed to write a post in explanation.

Here is the synopsis of our conversation. Shawn explained why he placed Jerry’s name on the Omni deck, not as a marketing ploy, but as recognition to Jerry’s friendship and how it impacted his life. Further, he explained that he includes recognition in his lectures, via the Omni Deck, to Jerry and explains to those in attendance the importance of Jerry’s contributions to his magic. After Shawn’s assurances that his intentions were honorable and above-board in all aspects, I feel it is necessary to apologize to Shawn for the harshness of my words above.

After explaining to Shawn my friendship with Jerry, as Shawn also explained his, we both agreed that in the end honoring Jerry for his friendship was what was the key factor in this case.

For those who never knew Jerry on a personal level, please allow me this one comment addressing why my feelings are so strong. I would submit that if you were to have put Jerry in a room with one hundred people, Jerry would have found the one person who was being snubbed, excluded from the “cool kids” group or simply put, the under-dog. Jerry would have then befriended that person and made them to feel like they truly had worth as a person as well as a magician. It was just the way he was as a human being. That was my experience as Jerry’s friend and I would also submit that Shawn would agree to Jerry’s inclination to deconstructing snubbing others in magical circles.

In the end, Shawn was surprisingly open, friendly, approachable and honest. Therefore, I just wanted to bring the above post to fruition and closure by stating that Shawn has, what I believe to be, honest motives for his using Jerry’s name on the Omni Deck. Maybe in the end that is what we need more of, people of Shawn’s stature keeping the legends before the next generation.

Best Regards,

John Redmon