They can own the copyright for specific materials, ie written instructions, or a book, or a video, in the same manner that any book or video has a copyright owner.
As for specific effects and methods, well, intellectual property copyright can be fuzzy.
An idea is copy righten upon creation. Now, if you have an unique idea for a film or an idea, that idea is considered copy righten. If the idea is developed into a script, that script is also copy righten.
Now, when and where a similar idea is considered to break the copyright is where it can get fuzzy.
Similarly, one could claim the copyright for a specific idea of an effect that is quite unique. Now it wouldn't work for something as vague as a card is chosen, and then found. But for an idea of something like a card being chosen and then found during an autopsy within my heart after I die during the performance, that could probably be argued in a copyright case.
In fact, I now am claiming that idea. Unless someone can prove that they developed the same idea prior to October 17, 2007, the copyright for "card from by dead heart" is owned by me.
Now, if someone comes up with a card from other body part, after death, is it considered a violation?
