Back when I just started to learn magic I would see a few (Very few) magicians that would get together as a group. They would all put in a few dollars - buy a book or a set of lecture notes. Then photo copy them for the rest of the group.

Vernon talked about his famous $20.00 manuscript and how it was copied and traded for many years after it was published.

In a library photocopying books and other information is part of what is called fair usage. That is to copy only a small part - a page or two for research or other reasons.

Now days we have some really great things that make self publishing in magic very easy. With new computers, video and DVD burners. New software that can produce a book in PDF format that can be sold and downloaded off a web site is a very cool thing.

But along with all these great technological advances there is also a downside. People that do not own the copyright can reproduce these things at almost any quantity. A student of magic with the right computer and software can copy a DVD (on e-bay) and sell the copy or trade it for other DVD copies. The same thing with PDF magic books. And even worse the PDF magic books can be e-mailed and traded over the internet.

I feel that this is not only ethically wrong. But it is also not fair to the people that produce these products. And in the long run I feel that it may run up the price of these items.

Magic education is a self taught, self learned magic activity that I do for self satisfaction. I also earn a living with magic but I enjoy magic as a student - not as a business. I enjoy the business but the self satisfaction I get in magic is from being a student.

As a student I strongly feel to have something looked upon as having value - like a magic secret. There must be some kind of an investment made, to get the secret on the part of the student.

If secrets like the information in an e-book is so easy to copied and traded today. Just by doing a copy with your computer and then sending it via e-mail. I am beginning to see that some students may feel that the secrets contained be seen as having little value. Not to mention the fact that it is unfair to do this because they do not own the copyright to the work! And I feel that it is disrespectful to the producers of these products - and perhaps to magic.

Well said bish, I totally agree. By by buying or trading copied dvds/books, all your doing is hurting the producer who should rightfully be getting the money.

Can we talk about something new? This is getting old.

Michael:

Why not start a new topic?

Why keep starting topics about the same thing? Why not just post on the existing threads?

Apparently, some people don't realize that you can use the search function to see if a topic has already been discussed. Although this one is pretty specific; I'm not sure how much this angle has been covered before.

WOW! There is a search function? Perhaps I might try it one day!

Ok it's been done and done, and we could probably talk about it forever. Twenty yrs from now ppl will probably still be arguing these same points ha...... soooooo Michael whatta you wanta talk about?

Let me think about it and get back to you on that one.

Thanks dragonchaos91 I find in the arts it is the artist that often gets the short end of the stick when art clashes with business. But I also feel that people that copy and trade things like this may be hurting magic and themselves because things like this could run up the price of these magic products.

I have 2 PDF books and could easily write more. But now I wonder if it is worth the investment of my time against little profit.

Yes, Michael is right. Why not post in existing threads about this? There are countless threads on exactly this topic.

Bishthemagish I am simpathetic to your casue for as soon as someone releases a magical book within a couple of moths or so its easy to find it on dome back door site or whatever. But go ahead do it, by stopping it your just defying yourself of an income.