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Rip-Off Builder of Illusions is contacted

MAGIC COMMUNITY LEADERS SUPPORT EFFORT TO STOP THIS GUY

FROM: Walter Zaney Blaney
President Emeritus
World Alliance of Magicians (WAM)

Dear Friends in Magic:

In a way of introduction, I think what you are about to read will astound you.

There is an ‘open letter' naming the world's largest magic builder of Rip Off illusions. He is but one of a handful of magic builders and dealers who make their living off the creativity and hard work of others. As you will see, the letter is self explanatory.

The officers of WAM have been told by some that we are just a small band of magicians always complaining about the ever-growing Rip-Off trade in our world magic community. I had to consider that maybe it was true; maybe the majority of magicians just didn't care one way, or the other.

So I asked most of the magic inventors to join us in trying to find out if there was any real support for our cause. A letter was emailed to a few dozen well known names in magic asking if they would sign on to this ‘open letter’. They answered with a resounding “YES,” and their names are listed below the letter. Soon many more heard of this letter and wrote us asking that their name be added.

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You will see many of the "big names" in magic known worldwide, along with scores of grass roots, hard working magicians who are well known and successful in their own geographic areas. If we had time to wait, there would be thousands more wanting to 'sign on.’ Until this letter came along there just hasn't been a place where they could all voice their opinion together.

Please feel free to forward this on to any friends in magic, to any Internet magic group you are a part of, and to any magic magazine in your country.

Now read the letter, look at the list of signers, and prepare to be astounded.

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AN OPEN LETTER TO FRANCESCO MARTORANA,
STUDIO MAGIC DOMINIK, PALERMO, ITALY

We the undersigned magicians ask that you stop building and marketing the following stage illusions. They are all proprietary illusions of the designated magic inventors.

1. #0005 Owen's Magic/Bill Taylor Temple
2. #0006 Mark Wilson's Train Sawing
3. #0014 Jim Steinmeyer's Walking Through a Mirror
4. #0023 Franz Harary's Slicer
5. #0024 Jim Steinmeyer's Interlude
6. #0025 Jim Steinmeyer's Pole Levitation
7. #0027 Jim Steinmeyer's Origami
8. #0029 David Copperfield's Death Saw
9. #0030 Doug Henning's Water Levitation (Now owned by Kirby
VanBurch), with the Pendragon's 360-degree revolving feature.
10. #0031 Levitation with Pendragon's 360 degree revolving feature.
11. #0032 Andre Kole's Squeeze Box
12. #0034 Pendragon's Crystal Sawing
13. #0040 Daniel Summers' Compressed
14. #0041 Jim Steinmeyer's Modern Art
15. #0043 Gunter Puchinger's/Chalet Magic Mini Cube Zag
16. #0048 Jim Steinmeyer's Acupuncture
17. #0049 Walter Zaney Blaney's Ladder Levitation
18. No # Jim Steinmeyer's Audience Dismember (Cutting a Spectator in Half)
19. No# Jim Steinmeyer's Windshear (Fan Illusion)

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Mr. Martorana, you have not secured the building rights from any of these magic inventors, and you have given us no answer to our previous direct requests to stop.

An important segment of our magic craft is the constant invention and creation of new tricks and illusions. Magic inventors must use their considerable knowledge of the art of deception; spend a lot of time in heavy thinking and inspiration, and finally take great risk and a good deal of their own money to develop, perfect and successfully market their new ideas.

All the magic societies around the world recognize the need to protect the rights of magic inventors, and they clearly state this tenet in their various Codes of Ethics.

By just ignoring the rights of the inventors who did all the hard work, and who are trying to earn a living from their creations, it becomes easy for someone like you to unfairly build and market cheaper, inferior copies we have all come to know as "rip offs". You are not alone in the rip off business, Mr. Martorana, but you are currently the largest.

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We again respectfully ask you to cease and desist in copying and building these illusions, to remove them from both your catalog and website, and from those of your dealers around the world.

We believe it is in the best interest of all fair and honest magicians to join us in standing up for the rights of the magic inventors in order to protect and preserve the incentive so necessary for them to continue producing the newest creations we all need and want.

Sincerely,

David Copperfield
Lance Burton
John Calvert & Tammy
Milt Larsen, Magic Castle founder and "It's Magic" show producer.
The Paul Daniels, England
Mark Wilson
Luis de Matos, Portugal
Peter Reveen

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Rick Thomas
Joaquin Ayala
Franz Harary
Ali Bongo, England
Andre Kole
Kirby Van Burch
John & Pamela Thompson
Jeff McBride
Marvyn Roy & Carol
Gay Blackstone
Marco Tempest
Max Maven
Michael Ammar
John Carney
Aldo Colombini
Gene Anderson
Eugene Burger

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Steve Dacri, Magic Web Channel
Alan Watson, New Zealand Magic Ezine
David Sandy, IBM Intl. President
Jay Gorham, SAM NatI. President
Dag Lofalk, FISM 2006 President, Sweden
Dale Hindman, Academy of Magical Arts President
Alan Shaxon, The Magic Circle President
Joan Caesar, Canadian Assn. of Magicians President
Philip R . Willmarth, The Linking Ring Executive Editor
Don Wiberg, IBM Intl. Secretary
Fred Casto, IBM Intl. Treasurer
Tony Wilson, IBM Intl. President Elect
Jerry Schnepp, IBM Past Intl. President
Earle Christenberry, IBM Past Intl. President
Ken Klosterman, IBM Past Intl. President
Bill Pitts, IBM Past Intl. President
John Apperson, SAM Natl. President Elect
David Goodsell, MUM Editor
Ed Thomas, SAM Past Natl. President
Dick Gustafson & Joanne, SAM Past Natl. President
George Schindler, SAM Past Natl.President
Craig Dickson, SAM Past Natl. President
Dan Garrett, SAM Past Natl. President
Marc DeSouza, SAM Ethics Committee Chairman

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Bruce Cervon, Magic Castle Secretary
Chris Pratt, The Magic Circle Secretary
Michael Bailey, The Magic Circle Past President
Peter McCahon, The Magic Circular Editor
Scott Penrose, The Magic Circular Business Editor
Richard Stupple, The Magic Circle Council Chairman
Peter Scarleft, The Magic Circle Council Member
Jim Steinmeyer
John Gaughan
Bill Smith
Daniel Summers
John Cornelius
William J. Schmeelk
Bruce Chadwick
David Mendoza
Gunter Puchinger, Germany
George Robinson
Don Wayne
George Kimery
Gerry & Leonora Frenette
Tom Moore, Dream Concepts, England
Mark Parker, 4effect, England

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Chris Murphy, Oz Illusions, Australia
Kevin James
Jon Racherbaumer
Joanie Spina
Becky Blaney'
Rich Bloch
Kevin Spencer & Cindy
William V. Rauscher
Larry White
Bill McIlhany
Phil Temple
David Ginn
Denny & Lee
Oscar Munoz
David Seebach
John Wade, England
David Charvet
Gary Bartlett
Glenn Falkenstein
Frances Willard
James Cielen
James Hamilton
Doc Eason

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Peter Studebaker
Bob Kohler
David & Kathie Haines
Lyn Dillies
David Hira
Chuck Leach
Steve Zigmont
Tim Kole
Keith West
Bob Fitch
Garry Carson & Kelsey
Tamaka
Doug Anderson
Danny Archer
Richard Hatch
Pete Petrashek
Trixie Bond
Paul Driscoll
Dick Newton
Bob Utter
Tom Craven
Jody Baran
Bill Palmer

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Tim Ellis & Sue Anne Webster
Kent Cummins
Arthur Emerson
Chuck Lehr
Wayne Rogers, New Zealand
Stephan Von Koeller, Germany
Gerald Edmundson
Mike Super
Ben Robinson
Carlos A. Guzman Mendoza, Mexico
Steve Farmer
Tim Quinlan
Devlin
Steffan Soule
Anthony Reed, Saipan
Jason Byrne
Cliff Bradley, England
Mike Lawrence
Steven Valenti & Michelle
John Taylor, Australia
Enrico Varella, Singapore
Peter "The Adequate" Hinrichs
Rev. Leo M. Goodman
David Caserta
David Goldrake

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Fr. Stephan A. Fernandes
Tim Pendergast
Stan Davis
Hans Dillenberg, Germany
Timothy Ricketts
B A Lipp
Kenton Knepper
Curtis M. Kam
Robert K Parmacek
David Neubauer
Robert Allen
Brian Cook
Dean Alan Cairnegie
John Steven Bloom
Colin McLeod
James Smith, England
Robert R. Bob Rouland
Jeff Peterson
Vicki & Dakota Rose
Tobias Beckwith
Charlie & Sherry Frye

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Abb Dickson, WAM President (World Alliance of Magicians)
Scott Wells, WAM Vice President
Chuck Jones, WAM Treasurer
Timothy Drake. WAM Webmaster
Walter Zaney Blaney, WAM President Emeritus..

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