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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