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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/43786
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/43786
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

A real-life case of this (not a self-help book but a cookbook) is the book (and movie) _[Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13747.Julie_and_Julia?from_search=true)_.

Julie Powell's book is about her experiences of making every recipe in Julia Child's classic _[Mastering the Art of French Cooking](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129650.Mastering_the_Art_of_French_Cooking?ac=1&from_search=true)_. It's told in a novel-like style, though it is nonfiction.

As it happens, someone has written about the legal ramifications. First, the basic [copyright issue](https://www.guidethroughthelegaljungleblog.com/2008/01/are-recipes-cop.html). In this case with recipes, but also with idea. The conclusion is that, no, using the recipes and the ideas in Child's book is not a copyright violation.

Second, is a legal issue called "[right of publicity](https://www.guidethroughthelegaljungleblog.com/2008/01/more-legal-issu.html)." This conclusion is that there is a possible but unlikely potential violation requiring permission. But that Child's death also made the problem a lot less important. Here, the issue is using the name and persona of the first author to promote the book of the second.

So you have two choices:

1. Write the book and let your publisher (or your lawyer if you self-publish) work out the details before publication.
2. Get permission ahead of time.

Original score: 1