26, February 2015: Protect Magicians Rights, an advocacy movement for the American Magic industry announced the start of its petition campaign. Founded by magician Kam Tesla, Protect Magicians Rights seeks to influence legislation that will protect American magicians and their magic acts as well as promoting them domestically and overseas. One of the three petitions started is featured on the White House website.
The petition asks for new legislation that will protect the intellectual property of magic products and magic acts by preventing their theft. The petition also seeks to promote American magicians overseas by using existing networks. In addition, the petition asks for providing incentives to American manufacturers of magic products. Promoting an annual National Endowment for the Arts National Magical Festival that will be hosted on Federal property is included in the petition as is promoting the domestic magic industry by allocating limited free of charge public radio and television ad space for professional magicians. Finally, the petition seeks incentives for individuals that restore a theater for showcasing magic.
The National Endowment for the Arts has its budget allocated by the way of the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. Protect Magicians Rights spokesperson Kam Tesla said “Protect Magicians Rights is a movement of magicians, jugglers, balloon artists, magicians assistants, puppeteers, magic shop owners, magic theaters, sideshow performers, and magic fans that seek to protect and promote the American magic industry.
The NEA through the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, can preserve and grow the American Magic industry, but it will be through legislation that will first protect American magicians as they operate in the negative space of creative expression, an area that traditional intellectual property laws do not properly protect. Performers acts and the products that are manufactured by American magic companies must be protected and that is the first focus of Protect Magicians Rights. In addition, it will be vital for individuals seeking to manufacture magic products in America to be properly induced through financial rewards or incentivized to do so. Many nations like China are heavily investing in their magic infrastructure and it would be a tragedy for American magic product manufacturers and American magicians to lose their competitive advantage in the magic industry because their IP was not protected.
The petitions are the first step in the campaign that will include press conferences, political rallies, and meetings with Congressional Representatives to influence vital legislation for protecting magic acts.” According to scholar Jacob Loshin “Since the resource of magic secrets can actually be depleted by misuse, the need to protect such intellectual property takes on particular importance.” The petitions are all using the title ‘Protect Magicians Rights’ and can be found on the White House, Causes, and Change websites.
For more information visit Facebook.com/ProtectMagiciansRights
