Use Trademarked/Brand Names in Recipes?
Brand name products are often protected in the United States by registering the name of the product with the US Trademark Office. If a name is Trademarked (e.g. Recipezaar), the trademark can only be used in certain ways. You can always say that a recipe calls for a certain trademarked product in the ingredients list or directions, e.g. “1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmans).” This is basically free advertising for the company’s specific product. You cannot title or otherwise imply that your recipe is the same as a particular brand name product, e.g. “Hellmans Mayonnaise Recipe.” This would obviously create confusion as to whether your recipe is the secret formula and endorsed by that company. The company would say that your recipe was benefiting from the good reputation of their product. Though, you may include your opinions in your description for the recipe as long as it is clear it is your opinion, e.g. “I think this tastes as good as Hellmans”. Likewise, you may not put your mayonn
