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Copyright issues

<editors@betterbaking.com>
Sun, 20 Apr 2003 20:13:12 -0400
v103.n021.2
[[ Editor's note:  We cannot and will not take responsibility for the 
contents of subscriber's posts.  Remember to respect the rights of the 
creator of a recipe. ]]

hi all,

I love the ongoing chat of bread-digest. I have never seen such passion for 
baking and such a vibrant dialogue between the home pro, devoted amateur, 
and working pros - It is an inspiration. It is also so nice seeing 'voices' 
and people I know - both friends and colleagues.

That said:

I am unclear about your policy of posting recipes from other websites (like 
mine, betterbaking.com) and cookbooks like mine and from others.

It seems recipes are taken and contributed from other sources - sometimes 
with a scant credit; sometimes not. This is as hot an issue in publishing 
and web legalties/courtesy as is fresh sourdough.

I know colleagues might feel differently than I BUT....would you mind, as a 
courtesy and respect to professionals to at least ask before you post our 
recipes. I know I would so appreciate that copyright respect and frankly, 
simply as a fellow baker I would appreciate it too. I love to share my 
recipes, and I do - at my site and between friends - but it would just seem 
kind of a nice gesture to ask me if I opt to share my own material.

I think it is also a good idea to let fellow bread digest readers who clip, 
email, and consequently post the recipes of others, that some baker 
creators feel as I do. It is worth the continued good will, mutual respect, 
and good pr that it would promote. This goes on all over the net - but my 
feeling is that bread-digest folks are real and full of the same integrity 
any wholesome loaf offers. I have mentioned this before- and last week I 
saw one of my recipes and again, Rosemary posted my maple brioche swirl 
bread. Flattered I am - but surprised. It also puts me in hot water (not 
tepid, not cold....hot!) with editors who hire me to write a bread feature 
and then see exclusive recipes I developed for them on these sorts of 
lists. It discredits me ....and while I cannot control it - it has caused 
horrific problems with print and online editors and in fact, negates my 
freelance work.

I suppose food writers will not win the day on this but some of you might 
like to know about how it all works.

As I said - perhaps other colleagues feel differently about copyright 
issues and recipe sharing at this level than I do, but it would not hurt at 
all -to inform people, on this very special list,  BEFORE you publish their 
recipes in a broadcast email.

I say all this in the most gentle, kind way I know.  I also know no one 
thinks of recipes as being 'owned' or having a baker 'parent' but they do. 
It bothers me as a creating baker and it bothers me as a writer. It is an 
old battle - protecting intellectual property - one learns to look the 
other way for the most part but it is one - that no baker worth their salt, 
or writer worth their words - ever totally walks away from.

If you would like - I would be pleased to contribute (knowingly) a recipe a 
month. For recipes of mine that bread digest people are interested in ....I 
would gladly assist them via my own site - where those recipes emanate.

In the meanwhile, I have bread envy - and counting the remaining days of 
Passover :-)

With warmest wishes,

Marcy Goldman
Head Baker, Editor
editors@betterbaking.com
www.BetterBaking.Com