Are there any magic shops, online or local that allow you to rent Magic
DVD's?

Surely you jest!

Here are a few around but if anyone is renting then you definitely do not want to deal with them. I don't see how you can rent a secret of magic. I guess it would be ethical only if you did the effects you learned from the rental dvd only when you have the dvd rented....
Park

Its illegal or ethically wrong (as whodini wrote) to rent most magic dvds and VHS tapes isn't it? If you read the back (or front) of a DVD and VHS, on most of them it says "Not For Rental".

I think renting is allowed only with permission of the manufacturer/originator.

I think it's fine if clubs have a library for members to use, but shops sholkd NEVER rent out material.

I think lots of people buy dvds, copy them, then sell the originals.

How ethical is that?

On every one of the tapes/DVD that I own, on the back it has the warning about " Not For Rental ".
Any one who is renting the tapes out is guilty of breaking the law.
Skulldini

Magic clubs should not be "above the law" on this problem. If anything, it is them who should set the moral standard, not break it.

When they rent out the video the magic shop is making money when the author is not. This makes it wrong it would be like selling bootleg copies. I think SAM and IBM both have lending libraries. If they lend out to their members then it stops them from buying it true but the clubs are not profiting from it. As a lecturer I would not like the idea of doing a lecture and thinking that the club will buy my DVD and the members will not because they know they can later check it out. I have to ask myself what is the difference with a club library and a public library that loans out magic or any other type books and now DVD's, Tapes, CD and PC software.

LeConte wrote
Posted: Aug 28, 2004 4:15am

"I think lots of people buy dvds, copy them, then sell the originals.

How ethical is that?"

If I own something, it is mine to do what ever I want to with it. This includes loaning it to a friend whom may copy it. Even if they don't copy it if they learn a routine from it still stop them from buying it from the author. Why is a magic book or video different that any other type book or video, because of the secret? No, the bottom line is they author is not getting paid a second time. This is IMO no different than me selling anything at a garage sale or even a used car. When I sell my car did Chevy get paid a second time? No and I used the car while I had it. Think about this people sell used text books all the time after they learned from it. Even if they did not recored it and they learned something form the tape before selling it does it still make it right or wrong? The information could be in thier mind and not on a tape but they still have it and maybe use it.

Before DVD's I use to record my own tapes because of the fast forwarding, rewinding, stopping and pauses while trying to learn a effect it would often eat the tape. I recorded and watched the copy so if it ate the tape then I still had the original. If you had a book or movie (other than magic) and your neighbor asked to watch it would you tell them no? I guess if you toe the line with magic media then you should toe the line all the time and never go to a library nor buy used stuff.

I don't really know where I stand on this. It is a hard area because why is it ok on one hand but not on the other. Over time I have truthfully done all talked about on this thread. I have checked out books from a club video library, watched videos that belonged to other people, loaned out tapes to friends so on and so forth. Here is the way I handle it now. Most of the people I deal with are pro's that if they borrow a tape from me and like it they will buy their own copy. I am the same way now, if I watch a tape and learn a good routine from it then I will send the author his due money by buying my own copy. Sometimes I watch a tape and don't use anything from it, this IMO saved me money because it is a preview. No different than a review from Mike CLose or any one else for that matter. The only difference is that I am not letting someone else tell me how to think about something. I can make up own mind which in magic is the way to go.

I speak on this from both sides I have my own DVD out and I am sure it will be loaned, copied, rented and bashed by the reviewers. This really is a hard one.

In my opinion, magic DVDs should NOT be rented. It sucks to see magic shops renting out these DVDs to earn money. There are even some shop locally here in Singapore that rent out the DVDs under the disguise of a second hand magic shop! They talk about buying the DVDs but encouraging members to sell it back to them after they view it for a reduced price. In other words, they are renting it out! I hope people will stop supporting these shops and it hurts the manufacturer such as L&L.

Magic DVD's and etc are expensive, especially when there is nothing a person can use on them. Advertisement on magic products can be very vague and deceptive while seeming to say a lot. I believe the advertisers of the product should be held to some level of accountability.

Some DVD's and books that I have spent good money on I would have never bought if I could have seen it first because there was nothing there that fit my style although the advertisement was convincing that it was.

While I know the subject is diverse in its opinion, I can see both sides as well, if I plan to use the effect then I am more than willing to pay the money for it, however, I am tired of paying top dollars for effects that do not fill the bill of advertisement.

For this reason, I am thankful for this site where we can discuss the good and the bad of the art. Already I have used the information on Magic Café to avoid some products and purchase others.

Well whats on that dvd is someones lifes work...it should not be rented or bootlegged...its immoral...i have done this in the past but would NEVER do it again....pay the man for his work...and if you don't have the money....GET A JOB!!!!!!

koz

Those who said Magic DVDS should not be rented , if I offered to give for free a magic video tape or DVD. most of you would accept the offer.....
with out any Quams....
vinny