I have been doing some reading myself, and if I understand the copyright law, a quilt falls into exactly the same category as clothing patterns. You may notice that a pattern envelope has a "copyright" on the front; however, the clothing is termed in the copyright law as a "useful article", and so is a quilt. Copyright case law has ruled that a dress pattern, or the item made from the pattern, is a "useful article" and is not, therefore, subject to the copyright laws, because it cannot be copyrighted. I'm not going to be adamant about this because I want to read further. From what I've seen, the actual pattern you purchase is copyrightable, but the articles made using that pattern are not! As I said, I am readying an studying on this subject. If I had lots of time and were physically able to do so, I would make a day of researching the question at the Univ. of Florida law library. If a dress pattern cannot be copyrighted, then logic tells me that neither than a quilt pattern. Today's patterns are based on shapes and designs that have been in common useage for more than 200 years. Absolutely, I would not reproduce and distribute the pattern itself. Let's all take a deeper look at the issue and not hit any panic buttons yet!
Jeanette