[WikiEN-l] Exposure of magic on Wikipedia (MacGyverMagic/Mgm)

[Daniel P. B. Smith]

> From: "MacGyverMagic/Mgm" <macgyvermagic at gmail.com>
>
> In a previous discussion it was determined that most magic tricks  
> aren't
> patented (for fear of revealing the method) or copyrighted (only  
> the way
> it's written down in a book or recorded on a DVD or video is  
> copyrighted).
> However, isn't exposure of commercially available effects considered
> [[piracy]] then?

I am not a lawyer.

If they're not protected by patents or copyrights, how could it be  
"piracy?" I'd have thought that if there were no patents or  
copyrights, there'd be no "intellectual property" and hence nothing  
to "steal."

I don't see how it can be a trade secret, either. If the trick were  
kept secret from the purchaser there'd be no value to it. I suppose  
it's ''possible'' to imagine selling a piece of stage magic equipment  
that could be used by a performer who did not know or understand how  
it worked, but that must be rare.

Finally, if exposure of magic tricks constituted "piracy" then you'd  
think this would have long since been established in court, and that  
the cases involved would be well-known within magicians' circles. Are  
there any such cases?