Well,I guess I will throw in my 2 cents worth.Sometimes my BQF and I can`t afford to buy 2 patterns that we see ,so I will buy 1 and she will buy 1 then we share at our Quilt-N-Chat or guild meeting.We don`t copy,we just work together.I would think that the designer and shop would rather we bought 2 patterns together than NONE at all.