Can I protect my recipe or business idea?

Ideas themselves are not protected by copyright, patents or trade marks, but there are ways to protect what you have created. A written recipe can be protected as a literary work under copyright, which stops people copying the text, but not others from making the same sauce using the same ingredients. A secret recipe can be protected as a trade secret or confidential information under the law of equity and by contract, provided that you keep it confidential. Use non-disclosure agreements before sharing details, restrict what you disclose and document your development. Branding, such as the name and packaging, can be protected through trade marks. If a genuinely novel process is involved, a patent might be possible, but only if it is not disclosed publicly beforehand. Take legal advice before pitching.