Things that make you go Hmmmm....

[Qjuju]

I have been pondering this... what is this... issue? conundrum? Enigma? Whatever it is... I am, shall we say, confused. Here is the scenario...

Several weeks ago a nice company sent me several samples of rub and I have used them for various things. I like the ones I have tried and they don't seem to be all salt or paprika as some of them are. I put one of them on some pork chops and it was quite tasty. I had 2 of them, so I told the wife that I might order some of that since it was good and I only had one more sample.

A couple of weeks later I was doing 3 or 4 butts for my step-sons Birthday party, no food porn on this one, and made my own rub as usual. With this exception-- I had gotten a new cookbook from a Q champion and wanted to give his rub a go. I also thought about using Chris Lilly's injection baste, but didn't because it seemed too salty. Anyone ever use something like that? But I digress... When I made the Champin' style rub I thought... I have smelled this wonderful aroma before. And... you know... this orange red rub looks sort of familiar too. Wow... it tastes a lot like.... damn it looks the same too... wow... I think I found a match between the sample and the recipe!! Can this be?

So here is my question... Would someone lift a recipe from a book and then sell it as their own? Seems un-cool too me. What y'all think about that?

 

[Hillbilly1]

By law, ya only have ta change a small thin, add a bit a this that won't matter an it becomes yours.

Ethical? Prolly not, but is done all the time.

 

[Div]

Is there really alot of diff between alot of them ? I mean theres a basic base to alot of the rubs...ive tasted a bunch of different rubs that have the same texture, look and taste...sometimes theres a suttle difference in taste but who knows ..mabye the sample was his rub that got ripped off

 

[Big Ron1]

I have been pondering this... what is this... issue? conundrum? Enigma? Whatever it is... I am, shall we say, confused. Here is the scenario...

Several weeks ago a nice company sent me several samples of rub and I have used them for various things. I like the ones I have tried and they don't seem to be all salt or paprika as some of them are. I put one of them on some pork chops and it was quite tasty. I had 2 of them, so I told the wife that I might order some of that since it was good and I only had one more sample.

A couple of weeks later I was doing 3 or 4 butts for my step-sons Birthday party, no food porn on this one, and made my own rub as usual. With this exception-- I had gotten a new cookbook from a Q champion and wanted to give his rub a go. I also thought about using Chris Lilly's injection baste, but didn't because it seemed too salty. Anyone ever use something like that? But I digress... When I made the Champin' style rub I thought... I have smelled this wonderful aroma before. And... you know... this orange red rub looks sort of familiar too. Wow... it tastes a lot like.... damn it looks the same too... wow... I think I found a match between the sample and the recipe!! Can this be?

So here is my question... Would someone lift a recipe from a book and then sell it as their own? Seems un-cool too me. What y'all think about that?

I can say for sure it was not my rub. I pride my low salt based mix and its original unique flavor as well. Just wanted to speak up for myself and others who sell rub and use their own creation.

 

[surfinsapo]

Just change something and it's fair game. copy it exactly and that's not cool , but you know the ole saying money talks.

 

[Larry D.]

"Mere listings of ingredients as in recipes, formulas, compounds, or prescriptions are not subject to copyright protection. However, when a recipe or formula is accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when there is a combination of recipes, as in a cookbook, there may be a basis for copyright protection."

That's from the US Copyright Office: http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl122.html

Based on that, you could even reprint the list of ingredients from someone's recipe, so long as it is just the list of ingredients, and does not include any substantial information on how to prepare it. For a rub, I think most people would intuitively guess that you mix the ingredients together. So, a rub recipe would be hard to protect. Making that same rub and selling it under your own label? My layman's opinion is that, as long as you aren't claiming that it is the original rub, you could do it. Especially if you increase one ingredient a little, decrease another, use a different type of pepper, etc.

 

[Qjuju]

Let me say something I should have said in my original post...

Neither party are posters here that I am aware of, but if I wrote their names most of you would know them by name.

Second...

I hear what you are saying about changing a little this or that and that's exactly what the wife said.

Still seems like bad juju to me and I personally wouldn't want the karma that came along with something like that, but I am sure it is done daily somewhere for some product for a buck. If it's pure coincidence, well then, thats entirely different.

 

[Captain Morgan]

don't forget, it's possible that 2 people could come up with
very similar rubs on their own.

 

[bigwheel]

Well as King Solomon could be overheard saying on at least one occasion, "There aint anything new under the Sun." (paraphrasing of course

bigwheel

 

[mar52]

Not about rubs, but there are hot sauce companies out there that buy gallons of particular island sauces in bulk and then bottle them under their own label.

Maybe the originator is selling it in bulk to the small guy.