Legal Question in Intellectual Property in Georgia

Re: family receipes

The best way to protect your recipes is to keep them a secret. "Trade Secrets" are a form of intellectual property, but they are not registered like patents or trademarks. Instead, they are kept secret and any disclosure is protected by a contract between the parties. The recipes for Coca Cola and KFC's 11 herbs and spices are held as trade secrets.

Copyrights can protect "substantial literary expression" in the form of an explanation or directions, such as a cookbook, but a mere list of ingredients cannot receive that protection. In order to register a collection of recipes (a cookbook) one has to file a copy with the Library of Congress, thus making its contents public record.

So, how you protect your recipes depends on your objective: do you want no one else to know your family's recipes? or do you want to publish a cookbook and profit from its sale?

An attorney can help guide you in making these decisions and protecting your recipes.