[cakerookie]

I was thinking where to post this thread and did not know so I put it here. Hope I am not out of line.But I wanted to know this."I was thinking of starting a website to post various pastry recipes. But I do not know what the copyright laws are on them. Can anyone tell me how I should post a recipe on a site of this kind?

Thanks in advance for the help.
cakerookie

[phatch]

Hmm, it seems the past discussions on copyright have been pruned in the update. At least the search function didn't find any for me.
Anyway, from the Copyright office of the US government:

How do I protect my recipe?
A mere listing of ingredients is not protected under copyright law. However, where a recipe or formula is accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when there is a collection of recipes as in a cookbook, there may be a basis for copyright protection. Note that if you have secret ingredients to a recipe that you do not wish to be revealed, you should not submit your recipe for registration, because applications and deposit copies are public records. See FL 122, Recipes.

http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/fa...ct.html#recipe

So generally, yes, you can post recipes freely. If you post most of a copyrighted book of recipes, you may be liable for infringement. If you post ingredient lists and rewritten pruned instructions, you can post most anything you like.

Phil

[cakerookie]

OK, so what you are saying is I can post any recipe I want, ingredients wise. But if I give the instructions for preparing it I have to word it in my own literary format and not use the authors exact text. Is that it?

Thanks for answering my posts I appreciate it.

[phatch]

Basically. Good ethics dictate that you should credit your inspiration for it as well.

As to the law, I'm no lawyer so be careful.

Phil