A member put together a recipe collection using recipes from her mothers and grandmothers recipe boxes. Is there a problem with copyright?
Q. A 4-H member is putting together a cookbook for her and her siblings of her mother’s recipes. Some are from magazines and other cookbooks. She is listing where the recipes came from. Is this a problem? A. No and No. In the first question, if mom or grandma noted the recipe was from a magazine or cookbook, the member should also cite that source. Mom or grandma may well have copied recipes onto recipe cards for their use. However, if the original source was not recorded, it is a little presumptuous to expect a 4-H member to chase a recipe back to its very origins. In the second question, the member is going to properly document the source. For magazines this should include title, issue and publisher. For books include the title, author, publisher and date of publication. In both cases, as long as the collections are not being reproduced or sold, the 4-H member may proceed with their planned exhibits. Enjoy the recipes.
