This is problem number 3 in a series. To read problem number 1 and to understand the guidelines for posting, please read this thread:

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......tart=0#3

ETHICS PROBLEM #3

Situation: Bob belongs to a magic club. After a meeting one Saturday, he invites a small group of friends from the club to his home for lunch. Afterwards, he pulls out his latest instructional magic DVD, and pops it into his player. Bob and his friends watch the DVD, commenting on the effects and the methodologies of them.

Question: Is he acting ethically?

Discuss.

If the scenario is illegal, then arguably it is unethical for that reason. I do not think what you have described is illegal. Going forward on that assumption the question is, by what code of conduct shall I judge the morality of my action? Not everyone need feel good about it for it to be ethical. Within the context of my circle of local magical associates, I may have an obligation of comradery to share such things with them. In return, I get the benefit of learning from the discussion that ensues, and deepening my own thinking on the subject matter. They benefit by previewing material that some of them may then wish to add to their own library (as has been pointed out previously). They do the same for me, and between us we have a mutual obligation of sharing that defines the ethics of the behavior.

The author of the DVD may prefer that each of my friends buys their own before viewing. This may be short sighted as my circle of friends never buys anything they have not previewed.

Yes he is. Good for Bob and his mates! They are learning magic together and developing themselves.

Quite possibly some of them will be impressed by the effects and buy the DVD themselves or similar ones by the same author. It's word of mouth marketing and sneak previews which increase sales. I'd certainly be happy if I was the author of the DVD.

Is this DVD going to be about the Bob Ross where he talks about painting "happy little trees"?
Sorry, couldn't stop myself.

If those magicians know about the DVD beforehand they're going to go aren't they?

None of the Ethics scenarios would be right to the creators of the effects or media but I sincerely believe that a majority of magi would not think twice about learning free tricks.

I can see where the authors of such media won't get their dues for their efforts.

Let's see. The value of the DVD is for the visual communication of both the effects and the secrets. Presumably for this example this value is traded for in dollars (open market) and without an NDA/NC.

If the owner wishes to diminish the value of his investment by disseminating the data in the DVD, I guess they can do this.

The issue of property and its disposition seems pretty clear to me. As to this being congruent to the intention of the DVD or the notion of secrets in magic, that is an open matter.

I can't imagine that this could be illegal. Also, I think most of us would agree that not everything that is illegal is unethical.

Jonathan Townsend wrote:

hahah

Wouldn't it be degrading if all the magicians here at the Café were all doing Ambitious Card Routines?
Oh wait! I think they are!

Don't worry, there's only 2 or 3 of us doing OOTW.

This scenario isn't any different from showing a DVD at a magic club meeting. Presumably, the people who like the material enough to do it would purchase the DVD.

In the movie industry, if one rents/buys a movie it cannot be shown in a public place where a profit is being made off the work of others, without a license to do so, its a heavy fine if caught.

Showing friends and discussing/reviewing the material is a different matter, as well as non-profit organizations. This is allowable.

The principle is not Ethical in my opinion.
When you buy a MAGIC book DVD you are buying secrets from a magician and that magician trusts you not to tell or resell the secrets he sold you.

Sorry, but this is simply not true. Perhaps if you bought the product directly from said magician with the implicit understanding that you would not divulge the materal therein, you would have a point. However, when a product is offered for mass distribution, and anyone can buy it, then the notion of secrets becomes a moot point. You cannot put the genii back in the bottle.

If I shared a house with two other like-minded conjurors (which I don't - this is a totally hypothetical scenario), and the three of decided to by a book or DVD communally, surely we can all watch it?

Each of us has only paid a third of its purchase price, but we can all watch it.

Is that "fair"? Is it ethically correct? It seems "fair" to me. But it doesn't seem to differ much from the situation where I buy this DVD, X buys that DVD, Y buys a third DVD, and we all share all of the DVDs. In both cases, we've each paid a third.

How "wrong" is sharing? I don't find it easy to arbitrate such situations.

Dave

Lol, that would mean you can each only perform one third of the material.

You can place the card in, but it is un-ethical for it to come to the top of the deck.

sorry couldn't help myself.

Steve Dela

Nice one, Steve. Made me laugh - thanks.

The card can only ride a third of the way up the deck. I can only restore part of your torn card. Not all of the coins can gather under the card at this corner of the mat.

Actually, I could envisage a situation where I want the DVD for this effect (and I have no interest in that effect), and X wants the DVD for that effect (and he has no interest in this effect).

And that strikes me as definitely ok, ethically. But I'm sure that others will disagree.

Dave

Well, it's not as if he's making any money off it, or renting it out, or making a copy, or charging admision, so I think that what he's doing is perfectly ethical, if it was non-magicians....Well, that's a whole other issue.

Yeah, from a legal sandpoint hes got his bases covered. But from a narcissistic magicain totally dedicated to protecting the laws of magic, probably not but honestly who comes across them every day.