One issue that comes up regularly for family cookbook project editors is the topic of copyrighting recipes and proper usage. While we at the FamilyCookbookProject.com are not lawyers and do not give legal advice, our research shows that recipes cannot generally be copyrighted. At the same time, it does not make it right to simply take credit for other people’s work. One way to avoid this is to give credit where credit is due. If your contributor submits a recipe that they originally found in a magazine or cookbook, it is appropriate to list the source in the notes section of the recipe.
Photos found online, however are copyrighted and cannot be used in a Family Cookbook Project cookbook without the permission of the copyright owner.
A few articles of interest in this topic
Copyright Office flyer on recipes
https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-protect.html
Copyrighting Recipes
http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/copyright/copyright-realworld/recipe-copyrighting.html
Questions & Answers - Copyrighting Recipes
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/CookbookAdvice.htm