Anyone can put a copyright on their patterns but few register them for a fee. This is the only way they are truly protected and would have the right to take legal action. I took a class in copyright law and this is one thing that really got my attention. When you contact a designer it is because of being courteous. Im sure most of the major nationally recognized quilters have registered their works. Good example was when a hotel in Houston had a rug made from a designers pattern. She won in court because the pattern had been registered.