Discombobulator wrote:cc100 wrote:Sometimes I really struggle to understand the whole business of plagiarism and copying in magic. Magicians always seem to complain if fellow magicians don't credit a particular sleight correctly or if they allegedly steal somebody else's method, and yet this person copied Derren's entire trick, performed it on television and no-one seems to complain. Granted he was only 14 at the time, but still. Anybody care to shed any light on this?
The same happend to Piff. his whole act was copied.
In one case, the boy was young and his TV appearance would help his future career. It is difficult to define your own personality and style at such a young age. I think the comments from P&T were more along the lines of encouragement than technical praise.
In the other case the performance was blatant plagarism and he was shot down by the judges.
Also, Derren put the trick and explanation on a dvd which has the implication that he doesn't have a problem with other people performing it. Now, if the lad was trying to sell it as an effect that he'd created himself, either in book or dvd form, then that would be plagiarism.