Japanese Magicians Sue Over Broadcast of Secrets

A group of Japanese magicians have sued two networks for revealing the secrets behind several coin illusions. The magicians claim that such broadcasts deprive them of the benefits of their intellectual property, and they are asking for damages and an apology from the networks. Note that some magicians have tried this kind of lawsuit before, in this country, for example in Rice v. Fox Broadcasting Co.(330 F. 3d 1170 (9th Cir. 2003)), a suit over the “Masked Magician” telecasts on Fox TV. In that case, magician Robert Rice sued for copyright infringement and false advertising. He lost.