Are recipes proprietary?

Although recipes can be copyrighted, it can still be used by different people by recreating the same dish or by using the same formula done for that certain recipe. This has been one of the biggest debates in the restaurant and food service industry. There were several instances wherein workers leave the employer or their contract gets terminated, and it does not bar them from recreating the same dish using almost the entire recipe.

However, there is a legal remedy when it comes to recipes. If you are an owner of a restaurant, you can apply for copyright, trademark the name, have your employees sign a contract, and claim the use of trade secrets – these will all protect your recipe from being copied and being made available to the public.