I am all for protecting the designer from the big companys coming in and mass producing their product or design with out any compensation, but lets get real for a minute. What threat is the average quilter to the designer when they want to sell a few purses at a craft fair to make a littke money to be able to buy more patterns and material, or the guild who made a quilt to raffle off to support their charity work. I feel every quilter should do the honorable thing and never photocopy a friends pattern. Go buy the pattern. Not only are you supporting the designer, but also your local quilt store, who is also trying to keep her doors open. I think copying patterns is the real problem! I spent close to 50 dollars on a "block of the month" pattern that I had been eyeing for a long time but did not have the cash to buy it right away. I could not believe it when someone asked me if they could get a copy of it. Really? When I teach an adult ed quilt class, I always have each participant buy a pattern, and I give the designer credit.