This is the full agreement behind the checkbox on our recipe form. Here is the short version, in plain words.
Your recipe is still yours. You choose how much we can use it. We don't pay for recipes. We don't test them, so we can't promise how they turn out. And it has to be your family's recipe to share.
LAST UPDATED OCTOBER 17, 2026
RECIPE SUBMISSION AND PUBLICATION LICENSE AGREEMENT
This Recipe Submission and Publication License Agreement ("Agreement") is entered into by and between C2Ko, LLC, doing business as The Evergreen Recipe Project ("Company"), and the individual submitting a recipe and/or related materials ("Submitter"), effective as of the date of submission.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, Submitter wishes to voluntarily submit a handwritten recipe card and/or accompanying personal notes, memories, photographs, or other materials (collectively, the "Submission") to Company for possible inclusion in The Evergreen Recipe Project, an archive of handwritten family recipes; and
WHEREAS, Company operates this archive and, from time to time, compiles submitted materials into printed and digital volumes offered for sale to the public, and may also feature select Submissions on Company's website, social media, and promotional channels;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises contained herein, and Submitter's opportunity to have the Submission considered for inclusion, the parties agree as follows:
1. VOLUNTARY SUBMISSION
Submitter is submitting the Submission voluntarily and of Submitter's own free will, with no expectation of compensation, credit beyond that described in Section 6, or guaranteed inclusion.
2. OWNERSHIP RETAINED BY SUBMITTER
Submitter retains full ownership of the Submission, including the physical or digital document submitted and all copyright and other intellectual property rights in the handwriting, text, notes, memories, and any accompanying photographs or images contained therein. Nothing in this Agreement transfers ownership of the Submission or any rights therein to Company. Company's rights are limited to the license described in Section 3.
3. GRANT OF LICENSE
Submitter grants Company a worldwide, perpetual license to use the Submission according to the level Submitter selects at the time of submission, whether on Company's online submission form or on a printed Recipe Submission Consent Card, either of which is incorporated into this Agreement by reference. If Submitter does not select a level, the license defaults to Archive Only. The three levels are:
Archive Only. The right to retain, catalog, and preserve the Submission as part of Company's private archive. No right to reproduce, publish, sell, or otherwise publicly use the Submission.
Reproduction and Publication. The rights in Archive Only, plus the right to reproduce, copy, scan, edit, crop, adapt, publish, distribute, and sell the Submission, in whole or in part, in print and digital formats, including as part of compiled quarterly volumes, without further notice to or approval from Submitter.
Feature and Prepare. The rights in Reproduction and Publication, plus the right to feature the Submission on Company's website, social media, and promotional channels, including preparing, cooking, photographing, filming, and publicly discussing the recipe, and using Submitter's provided attribution in connection with that use.
4. RETENTION OF PHYSICAL MATERIALS
Company is under no obligation to return the original physical document submitted. Company's retention of the physical Submission does not, by itself, transfer any ownership or rights beyond the license expressly granted in Section 3.
5. NO COMPENSATION
Submitter acknowledges and agrees that Submitter will not receive any payment, royalty, commission, or other compensation of any kind in connection with Company's use of the Submission under this license, now or in the future, regardless of the volume of sales or revenue generated.
6. USE OF NAME AND ATTRIBUTION
For any Submission licensed at the Reproduction and Publication level or above, Submitter grants Company the right to publish Submitter's name, city, and state (or such other identifying information as Submitter provides) alongside the Submission, substantially in the form submitted (for example, "From the Kitchen of ______"). Company is under no obligation to include such attribution and may edit, omit, or reformat it as needed for layout or design purposes.
7. SUBMITTER REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
Submitter represents and warrants that: (a) Submitter is at least eighteen (18) years of age, or if under eighteen (18), that a parent or legal guardian has signed a printed Recipe Submission Consent Card on Submitter's behalf; (b) Submitter is the original author or creator of the Submission or otherwise has full legal right and authority to submit it and grant the license described herein; (c) the Submission does not infringe upon the copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other rights of any third party; (d) to the extent the Submission references, names, or describes any third party (including family members named in "Notes and Memories" or elsewhere), Submitter has obtained any necessary consent from such third party for their name or story to be published, or reasonably believes such consent is unnecessary given the nature of the content; and (e) the Submission does not contain any defamatory, unlawful, or infringing material.
8. NO WARRANTY REGARDING RECIPE CONTENT; FOOD SAFETY DISCLAIMER
Submitter acknowledges that Company does not independently test, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, safety, or fitness of any recipe, ingredient, instruction, or cooking method contained in the Submission. Company assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, allergen content, or health consequences resulting from any reader's preparation or consumption of a recipe published by Company. Readers and users of Company's publications prepare and consume any recipe at their own risk.
9. RELEASE OF LIABILITY
Submitter, on behalf of Submitter and Submitter's heirs, executors, and assigns, hereby releases, waives, and forever discharges Company, and its owners, employees, contractors, and agents, from any and all claims, demands, causes of action, liabilities, or damages of any kind, whether known or unknown, arising out of or related to: (a) Company's licensed use, reproduction, publication, distribution, or sale of the Submission; (b) any editing, cropping, or reformatting of the Submission; (c) any errors or omissions in the Submission as published; or (d) any third-party claim arising from content within the Submission, including claims relating to names, likenesses, or stories of third parties described therein.
10. INDEMNIFICATION
Submitter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Company from any third-party claim, loss, liability, damage, or expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of a breach of Submitter's representations and warranties in Section 7.
11. NO OBLIGATION TO PUBLISH
Company is under no obligation to publish, use, or return any Submission, and may decline to include any Submission in its sole discretion.
12. TERM; PERPETUAL LICENSE; EXISTING PUBLISHED MATERIAL
The license granted in Section 3 is perpetual for whichever level Submitter has selected, and remains in effect unless and until Submitter notifies Company in writing that they wish to change or withdraw their selected level for future use. Submitter understands and agrees that any Submission already included in a published volume, or already used under the Feature and Prepare level, will remain in circulation as originally published or shared, including previously printed, distributed, or sold copies, and Company has no obligation to recall, redact, or destroy existing inventory or content. As a matter of practice and not a legal obligation altering rights already granted, Company will make reasonable efforts to honor a Submitter's request to exclude their recipe from future volumes or future promotional use going forward.
13. GOVERNING LAW
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, without regard to its conflict of laws principles. Any dispute arising under this Agreement shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in the State of New Jersey.
14. ENTIRE AGREEMENT; SEVERABILITY
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties regarding the Submission and supersedes all prior understandings. If any provision of this Agreement is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
15. HOW SUBMITTER ACCEPTS THIS AGREEMENT
Submitter accepts this Agreement by checking the agreement box on Company's online submission form, or by signing a printed Recipe Submission Consent Card. Either action has the same effect as signing this Agreement, and indicates that Submitter has read, understands, and voluntarily agrees to its terms.