Shawn,

I just saw this on iTricks. What do you think about it...?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmdSdEHRN......embedded

Hi Christopher,

Cyril has done the effect on one of his Television specials and three additional appearances now. I have previously discussed this on multiple threads on the Magic Café and I think my feelings are well documented. I've known Cyril since he was a teen. We met at the SAM convention in 1991 hung out together at Magic Hands in Germany in 1998, he even competed at a PCAM in Vancouver where he placed second in 1993, he even sat next to me at the FISM award ceremony in 2003 when I won second place using the routine. His TV special "Super Street Magic Magazine" with the effect was filmed and aired in 2004.

His record speaks for itself.

How do I feel, sad.

-shawn farquhar

WOW! I feel quite sad as well! Didn't mean to bring bad mojo to your Guest Week here, but thought you should know about it if you didn't already. Thanks again for being here for all of us "regular folk!"

I concur with Christopher. I have always admired your drive and the contributions you have mede to the world of magic. You are very much appreciated.

Ray

So Cyril didn't have your permission to do this routine? have you tried talk to him afterwards?

Movemonkey,

Yes, we have spoken about this following the first TV special.

-shawn

So what does cyril say? did he admit he has stolen your routine?

It's a grey area - using other magician's tricks - isn't it? Let's say the trick is really, really simple to work out. And you incorporate it as part of your routine - is that so bad? Probably not. But let's say it's a more difficult one to work out, clearly more special to perform, and you feature it as the main act of your routine. That's another story entirely.

There is a huge (bad) difference when you perform someone's signature effect on TV...

That was why I was surprised about it as Cyril has had this happen to him before. Karma is a wicked *****!

In his initial reply from his personal email account noone@aol.com many years ago he replied that it was just a small local Japanese TV show and he never imagined it would be seen outside the country. (YouTube didn't even exist) In his follow up reply he said he never saw me do the routine at FISM 2003 in Den Hauge. By 2003 I had also presented the effect at the IBM, SAM and PCAM conventions and it was fairly well known. I can't say for certain that he saw the routine, but he sat with me at the awards ceremony and was certainly aware by then of the routine I used. FISM in 2003 was a great congress and he did a manipulation act in the stage category that was similar to this presentation performed at the EMC

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjQzNTQ3NTQ4.html ( I really like the music... and his presentation as well )

When we discussed it further he informed me that the idea was given to him by a friend (un-named).

I believe two people can independently create something similar . It's happened to me. A fine example of this is my T2P, which although created independently, I must credit Dan Harlan as he devised the method before me. I respected Dan and even asked his permission to release my effect. I am not the first to present a signed card in a sealed deck. This credit belongs to George Schlinder. I believe I am the first to do it while in the hands of the spectator and use the Paul Harris gimmick in this particular way. Anyone who has seen the two routines will see they are almost identical. This is not just a case of the use of "theatrical elements", or staging. The methods appear to be the same with the exception that he does not use my switch, which oddly enough is the one part I share with the magic community.

I hold no ill will to Cyril and at one time counted him among my friends.
We used to hang out at magic conventions, competed against each other and he even came to PCAM '93 in Vancouver, where he won a Silver trophy that I hand made.
We have a number of mutual friends but now when in the same area we seem to avoid even looking at each other, which is sad.
He has demonstrated time and again that he can be very creative and his performance skills are exceptional.
I'm a fan of a lot of his work and just wish this event had never happened...

This is really all I have to say about the subject.

-shawn

“What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence. The question is what can you make people believe you have done.” ― Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet