Bravo Sued Over Recipe Website

Putting recipes online is smart, but it seems Bravo is getting into some trouble because of its online recipe database.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Bravo is being sued by DietGoal Innovations, an Austin company claiming that Bravo is encroaching on its patent for "Method and system for computerized visual behavior analysis, training, and planning."

"Defendant Bravo Media has been and now is directly infringing one or moreclaims of the '516 patent... by making and/or using in the United States the computer implemented website www.bravotv.com,which has a computerized meal planning interface at http://bravotv.com/foodies/recipes," the complaint says.

Not surprisingly, DietGoal Innovations has also filed complaints against Time, Inc. for Real Simple's recipe database, ConAgra Foods., and Nutrisystem, Inc.

The patent, officially United States Patent No. 6,585,516, shows a storyboard of meal-planning interface, with "a User Interface (UI), a Meal Database, a Food Database, Picture Menus, and a Meal Builder." Check out the patent in question here.