Would Houdini Need A Deemed Export License?

Harry Houdini died on Halloween. You know him as the greatest magician ever, but did you also know that he was an immigrant? Born Ehrich Weiss in 1874 in Budapest, Hungary (not Appleton, Wisconsin as he claimed), he and his family moved to the US when he was four and he later became a US citizen.

Did you also know that he was an inventor? His acumen with technology was widely regarded during his lifetime. He borrowed some of his famous escape tricks from others, but, as it is the mother of invention, necessity required him to design the technology for his elaborate illusions.

Companies today routinely bring in foreign technical experts and engineers to supplement their US workforce. Relying on immigrants can be tricky, however. Not only is there a bureaucratic morass with visas and naturalization, but US export laws may also be implicated. Apparently in disregard to the magician's credo, Houdini revealed technical secrets of some of his tricks. Sharing technology with a foreign national today may have hidden risks. Depending of the technology that is involved and the nationality of person to whom the technology is being shown, the Deemed Export Rule may require a company to first apply for and receive an export license from the US Government.

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