If I’m a chef and am hired by a restaurant, how do I protect the ownership rights to my recipes?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

If I’m a chef and am hired by a restaurant, how do I protect the ownership rights to my recipes?

My service has been acquired by a prestigious restaurant. I created the entire menu, as well as the recipes for the restaurant. what type of contract should I present to the owner? I want intellectual property rights (creative) but each contract I find leans more towards ownership belonging to said company instead of myself.

Asked on April 22, 2015 under Business Law, Georgia

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 8 years ago | Contributor

You can only protect your intellectual property while an employee by contract--that is, by some contract with your employer giving you the intellectual property rights to your creations. Otherwise, anything you create for/at work will belong to them--intellectual property created by an employee for or in the course of employment belongs to the employer in the absence of a contract to the contrary. If they won't give you contractual protection, there most likely is nothing you can do to protect yourself.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption