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Comment by robmil | Hacker News Reader

There's also an interesting parallel with standup comedy. At least here in the UK, the stealing of jokes by mainstream comedians from alternative performers is — while not accepted — viewed by the victims of the theft as just one of those things that happens, something to be ridiculed rather than something that can or should be fought.

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I've heard of some comedians resorting to violence when some of their lines were "stolen" by other comics.

Stewart Lee has a brilliantly cutting routine about Joe Pasquale's joke-stealing, if anyone hasn't seen it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YE9Kthyaco

This can sustain itself in part because there is a relatively clear divide between the mainstream and alternative comedy circuit.

Within the mainstream circuit there is much more of a culture of sharing material, so one can be of the opinion that joke theft is just something that happens on the mainstream circuit.

It doesn't majorly impact the victims on the alternative circuit because the audiences are different, and the concept of ownership of material within the alternative circuit is a lot stronger and so the people who matter will still attribute it to you.

I don't know enough about magic to know if there is or isn't a similar divide.

One name comes to mind when you mention the above: Robin Williams. There is still talk of him paying off comics after indirectly doing their material on stage or on television.

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