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Seinfelds Prevail Over Sneaky Chef in Lawsuit

YumSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:00:42 -0700

She may have a famous comedian for a husband, but that's not the only reason Jessica Seinfeld is laughing all the way to the bank. Yesterday, a federal judge tossed out another author's claims that Seinfeld had copied from her cookbook. Seinfeld made a name for herself with Deceptively Delicious, a cookbook that encourages tricking kids into eating healthier food.

Six months before Seinfeld's tome was published, Missy Chase Lapine, author of kiddie tome The Sneaky Chef, warned Seinfeld not to print Deceptively Delicious, citing content similarities. When the book hit the press, Lapine sued the Seinfelds on counts of defamation and plagiarism.The judge ruled that the works are distinct, and that Jessica's book has a "completely different feel." She did leave open claims of defamation against the defendant's husband, Jerry Seinfeld, who made fun of Lapine on Letterman.

While Jerry Seinfeld probably shouldn't cracked a public joke about Lapine, I believe the right decision was made - but maybe that's just because I'm partial to the Seinfelds. Do you think justice was served?

The Sneaky Chef Makes a Comeback

YumSugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:09:22 -0800

By now, you've probably heard about Missy Chase Lapine - aka The Sneaky Chef - and her war with the Seinfelds, but did you know that the author of the popular children's cookbook has two other books in the works?

The first sequel, Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen!), comes out this Spring and will feature recipes that cater towards sneaking healthy food into "man food." It includes recipes like "Macho Meatballs," "Love Me Tenderloin," and "Champion Chili."

Apparently all the publicity - or pending lawsuit - with the Seinfelds isn't hurting Lapine any. Her publisher has just announced a deal for a third book. The third volume has yet to be titled and will feature family-friendly recipes that hide healthy ingredients inside.

So what I want to know is, do you think we'll see Jessica Seinfeld's Deliciously Deceptive Food For Your Man?

The Sneaky Chef Sues the Seinfelds

YumSugar — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:27:11 -0800

I don't know if you've been paying attention to the war of the crafty cookbook moms, but things between Jerry Seinfeld's wife Jessica, author of Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food, and Missy Chase Lapine, author of The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies For Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals, have really escalated. Yesterday, Lapine formally sued the famous couple for defamation and plagiarism.

For those of you who haven't been paying attention, it pretty much boils down to this: While Lapine was touring her book in May, she learned about Seinfeld's similar book. She warned them of the similarities, but Jessica published anyways. Lapine claimed plagiarism. Jessica denied it. Jerry made fun of Lapine on Letterman, and it's been a cookbook war ever since.

To be honest, I'm not actually sure what to think about the whole thing. I can see how both of these books were made. Tricking kids into eating healthier food is a hot topic at the moment, and I think the cookbook shelf is big enough for two books with similar subjects. After all, if a lawsuit came out every time there was a cookbook that was "too similar" to another cookbook, wouldn't that mean there would only be one baking book? One quick-suppers book? One book on bbq?

So what do you guys think? Does this lawsuit have any merit, or is Lapine trying to drum up publicity for her own book?

Source

Yummy Link: A Deceptively Delicious Recipe for Plagiarism?

partysugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 03:00:13 -0700

There is a lot of controversy concerning where Jessica Seinfeld got the inspiration for her new book, Deceptively Delicious, which is about tricking kids into eating healthy foods. Did she steal her ideas from another best-seller called The Sneaky Chef? - New York Daily News

Yummy Link: Trick Kids To Eat More Veggies

partysugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:46:46 -0700

If you've got kids who are picky eaters, why not trick them into eating their vegetables by slipping beet puree into chocolate cake? That's what wife to comedian Jerry Seinfeld, Jessica, does. Now with her cookbook and blog, Deceptively Delicious, you can get your kids eating good food too. - Deceptively Delicious