Leah Day recently interviewed a copyright lawyer who happens to be a quilter and posted it on YouTube. Very helpful! She debunks a lot of the copyright scare put out by some of the designers. The written instructions are copyrighted and can't be sold as your own. About making a copy of a magazine or other pattern...usually if it's for your personal use it is okay. Selling or giving away copies to friends isn't. Just like copying music or movies.