Is there any protection on recipies?

Question

I was wondering if cookbooks have any form of protection on their recipies which would prevent someone from using it lets say in their own cookbook. and if there is what would happen if he/she would change some of the directions or ingredients, or the name would it still be protected.

Answer 1

It's possible to copyright the book (contents) as well as the individual recipes. See what the US Copyright Office has to say about copyrighting recipes here: http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl122.html

The name/title of the cookbook would be a trademark issue, not a copyright.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

The recipies in cookbooks are usually copyrighted. In order to get a copyright, you have to come up with a unique thing or an improvement on something that changes it. You'll probably know if you are infringing on someone's copyright when you try to do it yourself for your own book.

Answer 3

The Book itself is copyrighted, but usually the recipe is not. and If you change the recipe, even a little, it is not the same.
The protected, as you say, recipes are 'trade secrets' and it prohibits others from producing a product of the SAME recipe for profit.
There is a cookbook out there (I saw it on TV about 12 yrs ago) that detailed MANY famous recipes for home use including KFC 'secret original recipe' and several others.
The book was not in violation of any law.