This is just something that occurred to me recently and I want to make this statement publicly.

As I surf around the Café I see many references to Steve Fearson's Fantastic Floatation and they often refer to my modification of the gimmick. Even when discussing other self levitation's our two names are often mentioned when his FFF is brought into the conversation. I don't mind this and I'm very flattered that some seem to like how I modified the gimmick.

I just want to make it clear that I have never in any way claimed to be the creator of the gimmick. If Steve had never come up with the great gimmick then I would have never thought of the modification I made to it. I've never heard any complaints about this issue but I can picture myself in Steve's place and I don't think I'd like it to much if someone else's name was tagged to my creation. In fact I wouldn't be at all surprised if Steve himself has made his gimmick like I do. I know he works with the principle a lot so he just might have done it before I did.

I did at one time look into making some instruction on how to put it together the way I do only because I got a lot of requests for it. I never intended to claim it as my own though. I only wanted to say that there's a different way to make it and here's how. The instructions would not have been understandable unless they had the original.

So I just wanted to publicly state that I have never marketed a self levitation and that what is being known as "Ron Jaxon's Levitation" is only a sleight modification of Steve Fearson's Floatation.

I feel better to get that off my chest.. lol

Ron Jaxon

I've been reading a lot lately about this or that trick, that seemed a lot like an existing trick. For instance there are so many card to window, rising card, even the laser illusion that seems to have many different but yet seemingly the same basis done by a few magicians on this board.

Now with the Icarus Effect being compared to Criss Angel's certain escalator lev, or lean, it seems that it is a free range to go out and modify a trick for ones own benefit.

The one thing that I did not know, is that it is OK to sell it to the open market, without being concerned about royalties or lawsuits.

Is this true? Can one go out and modify a trick to make it improved... and then sell the modification? Do you have to pay any royalties? Do you need to get permission to do so by the creator?

By the way, love your cigarette routine, the ever changing filter one... sorry the name escapes me!

Thanks for the kind words about my cigarette trick (Outsmokin).

The matter of if you can "Can one go out and modify a trick to make it improved ... and then sell the modification."

Unfortunately there aren't many laws on this right now. Well, one could guard things but most don't take all the steps. So it's more a matter of ethics. We tend to rely on the ethics of other magicians and trust that they won't steal it. I think for the most part these ethics are followed but unfortunately some don't.

There is a lot of gray area though. Two effects are similar but are they similar enough to be considered the same? Different people will have a different point of view on that. For instance did the person who invented the thumb tip also invent the finger tip? If not, was the original creator of the thumb tip credited? I know that's not a very good example but I doubt anyone knows exactly who first used a thumb tip. Different people will have different answers to that. But I just used it as an example.

Ron Jaxon

If a trick is considere to be "associated with" so-and-so, and you come up with something only slightly different, and you are going to market it, you should contact the person in question and ask them what they think. If someone is known for performing a certain piece, you really want yours to be way different from his. Ethics is a good word, but also, word gets around and you could be ostracized.