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Pakar Ilusi Inner circle 5777 Posts |
To all the creators here.
Would you sue?
"Dreams aren't a matter of Chance but a matter of Choice." -DC-
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George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3042 Posts |
No, I wouldn't. The only people who would win anything are the lawyers. Besides, it'd make me look like a bad sport.
I would figure out a way to get some serious mileage out of the exposure. As they say in Hollywood, no publicity is bad publicity. So maybe I'd go on a talk show to rebuff the exposure, or come up with another way of doing the same thing just to prove it couldn't be done the way he did it, or something equally show-biz-like. Or I could go on the offensive and say that's not the first time he's gotten it wrong. Or I could go after his commercial sponsors to sponsor my own special. Lots of ways to get mileage out of it and come out on top.
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here" |
Terry Holley Inner circle 1805 Posts |
From http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Table_of_Death
"The Table of Death was one of the tricks for which a method was supposedly revealed in the Fox network's Masked Magician series. This occurred despite a lawsuit brought by André Kole against the show's makers in an effort to stop them." http://web.archive.org/web/2007092805514......yID=1640 LA Superior Court BC190153 Robert J. Gurtler pka Andre Kole v.Nash Entertainment, Bruce Nash, Fox Broadcasting Co. Subscribers, please sign in at left to view the full story. New users? Subscribe (Annual or Trial) or Pay Per View ($19.95).
Co-author with illusionist Andre' Kole of "Astrology and Psychic Phenomena."
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sammagic New user 70 Posts |
Agree with George, would make you look a bit of a bad sport in a way and the only one's that would win would be the lawyers.
If your creation was exposed and shown on one of the TV shows, what would you get out of it? How could you prove potential loss of earnings from the exposure? Could you 100% prove that the idea was yours? I'm sure with the financial backing the lawyers would have from the TV network that they would find a way to prove that 'your idea', has been used in another illusion that is in the public domain. What would I do? Invite the TV networks big guns along to my new illusion, get them to sign a form for 'waiver of liability, indemnity, oops a mistake I've done etc etc and put them in a 'big cat appearance box' and forget to put the d******e steps in!! |
Pakar Ilusi Inner circle 5777 Posts |
I see, interesting...
"Dreams aren't a matter of Chance but a matter of Choice." -DC-
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Servante Inner circle 1330 Posts |
I likely wouldn't say a thing. In my experience (at least), regular folks don't remember the Masked Magician stuff. We do, of course, but they seem not to. I think suing would just earn the "exposure" more ink 'n' air, a bigger footprint, and more chance for continuing exposure.
-Philip |
George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3042 Posts |
Yup. That's exactly what happened a number of years ago when the MM first got on TV (Fox) and the magic clubs were up in arms. They played right into Fox's hands: "The magicians are ticked off, folks, so watch our next special and see what all the commotion is about." Meanwhile, they were telling the advertisers, "Hey, a lot of people are going to watch the show next time 'cause the magicians are making a stink." Fox got lots of free publicity for the show and the advertisers got an audience. It was a win-win for both of them. Controversy sells.
Like it or not, that's part of the "business" of show business.
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here" |
TheRaven Special user 597 Posts |
As an aside, first you would have to have the LEGAL rights in order to sue. Many have the ethical rights, but not nearly as many have the legal right - patent, non-disclosure contract, copyright.
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Pakar Ilusi Inner circle 5777 Posts |
Quote:
On 2014-01-16 21:07, TheRaven wrote: That is true although I am seeing the benefit of making a big bruhaha where there is none. As someone said... No such thing as bad publicity. Especially if you get on the international news.
"Dreams aren't a matter of Chance but a matter of Choice." -DC-
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Chezaday Inner circle Naperville, IL 1673 Posts |
Oh ... I wouldn't even mention this series. I wasn't even aware it was still in production ... aren't they just reruns? It's best just to ignore this garbage. If anyone asks ... I always tell them that the effects were just designed for the show, then exposed.
I thought we would be done with all this by now ... Steve |
George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3042 Posts |
Good points, Steve. I haven't watched the recent ones, so I don't know if they're reruns or not, but obviously the network can still find sponsors for it, so they all feel there's some interest somewhere. Who knows, if they're reruns maybe they're marketing to the people who weren't old enough to care the first time around. You can usually pretty much tell who the target audience is by watching the commercials.
In any case, I like your comment, "I always tell them that the effects were just designed for the show, then exposed." It's a great response.
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here" |
JamesinLA Inner circle Los Angeles 3400 Posts |
My advice is to find an intellectual property attorney show him what you've got in terms of rights, he'll tell you what you need to have and give you options. I know a guy who has helped me in the past. He's actually made case law. It's a very specialized area of the law. You could probably get a free consultation.
Jim
Oh, my friend we're older but no wiser, for in our hearts the dreams are still the same...
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hackmonkey Inner circle England 1093 Posts |
Also by suing you are also agreeing that they exposed the real method! You are saying they were right!
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Pakar Ilusi Inner circle 5777 Posts |
Quote:
On 2014-01-17 12:17, hackmonkey wrote: Now there's a perspective.
"Dreams aren't a matter of Chance but a matter of Choice." -DC-
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James FX Regular user Virginia 178 Posts |
+1 By suing you pretty much announce that their "reveal" was spot-on. Like Steve said it's probably best to let it die and if anyone asks, then it's you duty to advise them that the show's backyard-built, low budget designs were concocted only to fool a camera for a sound stage production
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Chris Stolz Inner circle Mississauga, Ontario 1958 Posts |
Not to mention that by suing you get them a TON of free press, most likely boosting the ratings even more. Steve is spot on.
Chris Stolz
BLACK ART BOOK: Hiding In The Shadows. |
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