I came across an article on digg.com, linking to an online course page for a university class "Chemistry & Society" which exposes a gaffed 3 card monte routine. Is this legal? Can an academic organization publicly post this type of information? Is it public domain, or are these trademarked secrets?

Here is the home page for the course:

http://www.chemistryland.com.nyud.net/CHM107/index.html

and here is the page where the gaffs are exposed (a youtube video is linked to called "Million Dollar Monte" and then the author of this site displays the gimmicked cards used in the trick. The routine is also similar to Mike Roger's "Unconquered Card"):

http://www.chemistryland.com.nyud.net/CH......ene.html

(mods, feel free to remove these links - I don't want to lead to more exposure here, but I figured I'd post the links in case the information provided by this course is something which is trademarked material and should not be publicly available - in which case the author of the site can be contacted and requested to remove the information)

Adam

Probably legal, unless it is someone's copyrighted effect. Just because people have high degrees and teach in institutions of higher learning it doesn't exempt them from being jerks.

Well, that's the thing - the gaff exposed is nearly exactly the same as a set of cards I purchased in a gimmicked 3 card monte routine (cost me about $20 as well! - not that I'm resenting the fact that I paid for it, but I dislike that the trick has been exposed for all to see). The only difference is the suit of the cards that I received.

I'm just not sure where the line is drawn for copyright infringement on magic tricks. Is it only the routine and explanation that can be protected, while the gimmicks used are public domain? Or can the gimmick be protected if someone files a patent on it?

In any case, I think that it's one thing for a University course to explain how some tricks work, and another to post the information freely available on the internet. If anything, this particular info should only be available during the lecture, not on the website. Or the page should be password protected for only the students to see.

Adam

Or where is the line drawn in furthering the publication of said exposure by reposting links?

So why not contact some one at the University and kindly ask that the information be taken down or not be made availabe to the general public?

The worst they could say is no after all.

that's what I do when I run across YouTube video's that tip method. Some take them down some don't. It's an uphill battle but hey someone has to try.

Just my $.02

I think posting these links is necessary to expose them to the community that they affect, in order to promote others to complain. Anyone viewing this forum has some interest in magic, so it's not the same as posting it for all to see on some completely non-magic related social networking site (such as digg.com, where it was originally posted). In any case, the page has now been changed to the following:

"Card tricks depend not only on slight of hand but on specially designed cards like "gaffed" cards (altered decks). The common altered decks are the Svengali Deck, Stripper Deck, Invisible Card Deck, Brainwave Deck, and more. I don't want to reveal how these decks work, but they all take advantage of the fact that we are familiar with playing cards."

Notice how it now says "I don't want to reveal how these decks work".. So did my post further contribute to exposure? Technically yes, but I think the result is justified in the end, since the offending content may not have been removed if no one was aware it existed and complained about it.

I Kind of remember what someone said about publicity. " No such thing as bad publicity." In other words I think it is possible to talk about people that do things without posting links to their website.

Think a sec, someone stumbles across Café... and sees this Post, what if he or she had no clue where to find out magic secrets? Your posting links just told them.

Just think the worst we can do is mention them, and give them internet traffic, the best we can do is talk about them without posting links to their website.

John about asking people on youtube, I agree sometimes people will apologize and remove their content. When it is explained to them nicely....

and ya... it is a long road