One of the problems associated with increasing a product’s brand name is the
phenomenon known as “genericization.” The once novel brand name or trademark
becomes a verb or noun rather than an adjective. For instance, Kleenex is
associated more with the thing, facial tissue, than a type of facial tissue.
In the United States, aspirin was once a trademark but is now the generic
name for the pain-reliever acetylsalicylic acid. Bayer has protected the
trademark in other countries such as Canada.
Ironically, Bayer also owned the trademark for Heroin but allowed their
registration to lapse (at least in the United States) in 1910. (It was derived
by the German pharmaceutical giant from the word “Heroic” to describe this new
drug with stronger pain-killing powers than morophene.
In deference to trademark law, unless the diamorphine hydrochloride salt we
are buying from our dealers has the Bayer label on it, we will not refer to it
as “HEROIN.” Note, however, in the case of HEROIN, the loss of trademark was
likely due to the post World War I sanctions placed on the German company for
its development of the new and deadly mustard gas.
It’s just a theory, HEROIN may have become generic — we note most junkies
are sloppy about their use of terms and will tend to use what ever word pops
into their shuttering, sweaty skull when they need a fix. Sure, we wish they’d
say, “Hey, man, can you hook me up with diamorphine hydrochloride or even
diamorphine?”
So when one writes “Google Magic Tricks” there is a danger the reader will
understand the phrase to be an instruction to the reader. As if the writer is
ordering the reader to perform an action, “Google,” on the two words “Magic
Trick.”
So these are two tricks we found using the Google website. We are not using
the word GOOGLE to describe an action.
The first effect gives you magic powers to cause letters within the Google logo to
vanish. It is a simple ruse but still kind of neat.
The second effect uses an add-on program called GreaseMonkey. You’ll have to
download this program to perform the mentalism effect but it is well worth the
trouble. We found GreaseMonkey to be benign and that it behaves very well with
our other programs. We know it will help to modify any web page through Firefox
but we haven’t tried it with Opera or Microsoft Internet Explorer.
He describes the effect as the following:
It is a slow morning in the office on April 1st.
You: Hey Beatrice:, check this out! Google added this new
feature! Beatrice:: I already saw that video/map thing.
Booooring! You: No, this is new! They added this ESP thing! It’s
uncanny and a little scary! Beatrice:: Yeah right. You: No,
seriously! What’s your favorite animal? Beatrice:: A lady
bug. You: Okay. Think really hard about a lady bug. Look at the
computer and try to transmit your thoughts into… Continue reading Two Puzzlers plus Trademark Law: Google Magic
Steve Dacri, the legendary magician with the “fastest hands in the
world,” will perform during the ninth hour of the upcoming Jerry Lewis
telethon.
Mr. Lewis announced yesterday his annual Labor Day Telethon
benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association will also feature
celebrity fund-raising appeals for the relief efforts in the aftermath
of Hurricane Katrina.
He also announced that MDA will donate $1 million
of its funds to help victims in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Mr. Lewis also announced Mr. Dacri will perform his
world-famous close-up magic as part of the incredible 21-1/2 hour
marathon.
Mr. Dacri is one of our favorites. He has to be one of the
hardest working magicians in the business and is always coming up with
new methods of magic and new ways to present his skills.
Inside Magic
featured Mr. Dacri’s Xtreme Close-Up show from Las Vegas as well as his
Magic Web Guide. Check out his home page at http://www.stevedacri.com
and the web guide at http://www.magicwebguide.com.
We have it on good authority Mr. Dacri has been scheduled to
perform close-up magic during hour nine, (between 5 a.m. EDT and 6 a.m.
EDT) on Monday, when an estimated audience of 37 million worldwide
viewers will be tuned in.
Mr. Dacri voiced his concern for the victims
of the Katrina. “My heart goes out to the people of the afflicted
areas, especially my friends in New Orleans. We pray for a swift
recovery for all.”
Matthew Dowden is featured in the in today’s UK press for his close-up magic
and his plans to appear at the Magic Castle.
The young man “couldn’t face the prospect of the nine-to-five life” of a
lawyer, decided to pursue an apparently similar trade (at least to the news
agency) “card-trickster, pocket-picker, watch-remover and mind-reader.”
Mr. Dowden’s success in the trade-show world has allowed him to meet other
magicians and gain further opportunities in the world of non-lawyer-based
pocket-picking, card-tricking, and watch-stealing.
For the last four years, Gateshead-based Matthew Dowden has been a magician –
an extraordinarily talented card-trickster, pocket-picker, watch-remover and
mind-reader – who has used his ability to carve out a career in corporate trade
shows.
“My brother and I went to America and I met up with a magician I
know – Greg Wilson, one of the best close-up magicians in the world.
He has a lot of sway at The Magic Castle and to get invited to do a week
there is just incredible.
I sent some video footage over of what I do and
there’s even talk of me doing a lecture while I’m there on how to steal watches,
so not only performing but lecturing, too, is brilliant.
Mr. Dowden signed a contract with Sony to perform six trade shows this year.
The article notes the concept of trade show magician in “an American technique?
that “has proved phenomenally successful in brand retention.” Apparently, the
magician uses “magic” or “magic tricks” to “attract custom (sic
“customers“) to and to deliver a sales message which becomes linked with
a particular trick.”
“I recently came up with two new tricks which were published in magic
magazines. It’s nice to see my tricks in the same section as some of the top
magicians in the world.”
Mr. Dowden has at least two websites: one for private parties and the other
for corporate consulting and trade-shows. Check out his trade-show outlet, at: http://www.dowdenmm.com. You can find
information on his private party work at http://www.matthewjdowden.com.
(Unfortunately, the sites are apparently designed for Internet Explorer
browsers and will either not fully function or appear disjointed if you use the
Inside Magic-Approved Firefox Browser).
Mr. Dowden is slick.
“Well, don’t be too slick now,” Teena Marie prophetically sang to the late
funk king Rick James in the life-changing 1980 hit Square Biz. Not withstanding
the caution offered by Ms. Marie (a/k/a “Lady T,” “Casper,” “Shorty,” “Lil’
Bit,” and “Vanilla Child”), Mr. Dowden admits he has become “slick” but at a
price.
“It takes a long time to get really slick,” he says. “I’ve got the calluses
to prove it.”
Oh, that’s okay, we’ll take your word for it. We don’t need to see your skin-deformation.
Welcome to the U.S., Mr. Dowden. We wish you great luck and hope to follow
your success in these pages.
The Associated Press is reporting today
that a Fairfax (VA) County Judge fined lawyers representing Feld
Entertainment $51,000.00 for “obstructionist tactics” in litigation
with PETA.
Feld Entertainment ? which produces the Ringling circus,
the defunct Siegfried and Roy show in Las Vegas, Disney on Ice and
other well-known shows ? more than four years ago, claiming that Feld
ran an extensive corporate espionage campaign against it and other
animal-rights groups. Feld went so far as to pay millions of dollars to
a former top CIA operative, Clair George, to help run its spy
operation, according to PETA.
PETA has a $1.8 million suit against Feld alleging the company
engaged in an extensive espionage campaign against the animal rights
group.
In ordering the fine against Feld’s counsel, the court also
determined the trial judge was not guilty of “judicial misconduct” as
alleged by Feld’s legal team.
Feld’s counsel claimed the trial judge should be removed from
hearing the matter because he had “improper conversations about the
case” with one of PETA’s lawyers. The accused judge said, “I’ve never
seen anything like it.”
The entire fine is to be paid to PETA. PETA claimed Feld’s shows,
including Siegfried & Roy production, constituted cruelty to the
animals used. The organization has leveled more serious charges against
Feld’s Ringling Brothers Circus, claiming neglect and maltreatment led
to the death of several animals.
We also learned today Siegfried & Roy’s star elephant, Gildah passed away from natural causes.
The local Las Vegas television
station reported this evening, the four-ton Thai elephant celebrated
her 57th birthday four months ago at the Mirage animal habitat.
Siegfried and Roy released a statement saying “Gildah was at the
center of their animal family for more than 25 years, and performed
with them in Las Vegas and around the world.”
The Australian Broadcasting Company offers a story of scandal and waste.
Australia’s prestigious Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organisation (“CSIRO”)is under attack for its “shameful waste
of money” for spending $70,000 AUD on a recent conference featuring an
unnamed magician.
One critic, Kelvin Thompson, said the organization is already in the red due to lack of private contributions.
“What the CSIRO in fact needs is not an effort to pull a white rabbit out of a hat,” he said.
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