As I have trolled around the Net I've found a disturbing trend. Disturbing, at least for magic creators. Several sites have young teens (12-15?) exposing how to do tricks that are currently on the market. One site had a (poor) video on how to make the self-tying shoelace. Several others were blatant- one kid who looked like the offspring of refugees from Haight- Ashbury openly admitted that he had bought a penguin magic trick that featured a billet switch the day previous. Now he was recording the method for curious viewers on the net.
If you've ever created a magic trick and labored over it for hours, days and perhaps years, you'll understand why this is so disturbing. Young wannabees are more interested in getting their faces on the internet than they are in learning what magic is really about. And it isn't the secret. One of the most intriguing card effects I've ever seen was by Dai Vernon and the methodology is so well disguised that its simplicity will fool you and fool you badly. (You can find it in More Modern Card Secrets). But the magic is not the secret. The magic is the experience that you, and the audience experience in the effect.
Several years ago I published in the International Brotherhood of Magicians Linking Ring Parade a color changing CD routine. Shortly thereafter there was a major magic dealer selling it wholesale to fellows on Ebay. I wrote the dealer and threatened legal action as well as informing Ebay. I have just noticed my same effect being touted on a mini-CD DVD by the same magi or publisher who ripped off Murray, the magician who manipulates CD's etc. Changing the size of the cd does not justify the theft. Had I actually been asked, I would have given permission as long as the credit was posted.
I heartily encourage magicians to NOT go down this road but to keep what you do and what you know among those who are ethical.
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