"If you labor like a mouse, and give birth to an elephant, that's magic; but if you labor like an elephant and give birth to a mouse, that's tragic."
Sol Stone
I went to pick up a new pill organizer when I see a four pack of bikes. Two are red and two black standard face Rider backs. So if you are looking for something a little different there ya go.
You asked about people going to the show. I answered that question. Magicians play a role. Our role is someone who lives in a world where magic is real. We are putting on a show. What people want to think is what they are going to think. There are people in West Virginia who claim I am demon...
No. Some people want that feeling of being a small child again and seeing something wonderful and amazing. They want to feel that joy. Some people go because they enjoy watching a skilled practitioner work his craft. This is why people will stand around and watch a guy with a chainsaw make ice...
Legally yes but it is an ethics issue at that point. Yes there are some out there who still have ethics in magics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNk9yQjoMHs#t=89
The judge said the method is not the copyright issue. It was the choreography and the presentation. Which to me seems odd you can protect every part of your act save for the method. So had the guy just sold the method and not the whole package I think the case would have gone differently.
This was an original Teller effect. Tell asked the guy to stop selling it. The scumbag kept selling it knowing you can't copyright a method. Well this time the scumbag lost.
As for different methods. This is getting into a grey area. It would have to be a marked improvement over the original...