We support the rights of home chefs, recipe authors, photographers and publishers. We want to see everyone succeed personally and financially. KeepRecipes aims to be a better partner for both home chefs and copyright holders than other tools currently used to store recipes.

Using copyrighted material does not constitute infringement in all cases. In general, however, members should be careful when using copyrighted content without the permission of those who created. We will respond to notices of alleged infringement that comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA"). We will disable and/or terminate accounts of users who repeatedly infringe or are repeatedly charged with infringing the copyrights or other intellectual property rights of others.

Please give credit and respect rights. On our recipe input form, members can express whether they have the copyright to a recipe. If full copyright is not held, the recipe will not be reprinted for public consumption.

FAQ

Can I keep all my recipes on KeepRecipes?

Yes. We understand that links change, that you want to search recipes, and that you may have already paid for the cookbook or visited the website. By transmitting content to our server you guarantee us that you have the right to make this content available for your use.

Can I share all my recipes on KeepRecipes?

Kind of. You can think of it as having a full private recipe box, and most of your recipes can be shared. You can share a link a to a recipe, it's title, it's ingredients, and any photo you've taken. However, if a recipe is copyrighted, you won't be able to share the full recipe. We want to make sure your friends support your favorite recipe authors, by visiting their websites and buying their cookbooks. We will also respond to requests under the the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA").

How does this work for owners of websites with recipes and photos?

Our members must visit your website in order to keep a full recipe--we do not permit directions to be passed among members. So, you'll always get your initial page view. If a friends sees the recipe was kept or cooked, and then wants to keep it, you'll get another pageview. If the person who kept the recipe has connected with Facebook, this gets amplified. We hear from bloggers that we've already grown traffic and inbound links. Soon, you'll be able to reach those who kept your recipes to offer your cookbooks, classes, events, or other for profit endeavors. This solution is better for website owners than Gmail, Evernote, Google Docs, Mircosoft Word, or other ways in which recipes are commonly saved digitally without public attribution and sharing. If you believe that your work has been used for public display in the KeepRecipes in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, or your intellectual property rights have been otherwise violated, please read our Terms of Service where you will find instructions for contacting us.

What if I change an ingredient or a step? Do I then hold the copyright?

This is a grey area. We've been informed that common practice from cookbook authors and food writers is:
1. If you're slightly modifying someone else's recipe, use the "adapted from" setting and provide a link.

2. If you change a recipe substantially, use the "inspired by" setting and provide a link.

3. If you change three ingredients, you can call the recipe yours but we still recommend using "inspired by" and providing a link.

We make these options available when saving a recipe.

(learn more)

What else is there to know?

• “Fair use” is a limitation on the rights of copyright holders. U.S. courts found that time shifting and place shifting content, such as recording a TV show on a VCR or putting music on an MP3 player, is fair use. There are a few tests for determining fair use. Courts are more likely to find fair use where the use is for noncommercial purposes, where the work is mostly factual, where the work is a part of a much larger whole, and when the new work does not meaningfully affect the value of the copyrighted work. (source, source)
• Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission. (source)
• Copyright law does not protect listings of ingredients, which are considered facts. (source)

Have questions or concerns?

Learn more about our terms and DMCA compliance or contact us.

Where is the legal disclaimer?

All of this is bound by terms and conditions.

Last update: September 29th, 2011.