i'll use myself as an example. i've posted many things here in the past year. a few have been ... i hope ... original ideas using traditional (public domain) blocks. i can't claim copyrights to the blocks. i can - and do - state my claim to the copyrights of the instructions.
Trying to claim copyrights to layouts using public domain blocks is risky. You have to be able to prove something is unique. How do I know I'm the first person ever to to think of using that particular combination of blocks? I only copyright the layouts if i feel they are a new, unique combination of blocks or very significant variations. even then i consider the copyrights conditional. that is ... "to the best of my knowledge".
when i post here, i invite people to USE the ideas and instructions but ask that they not pass the instructions and ideas off as their own. do you see the difference?
sometimes i only post a photo or graphic image of a design, but no instructions. technically, anybody who copied one of my original layouts would be stealing my design - unless (1) i've invited everyone to do so, or (b) you've asked me for permission to copy it. am i going to come after you if i find out? heck no. too much like work. gotta hire a lawyer. gotta do lots and lots and lots of research to back up my claim of originality. OY! who needs the aggravation? :wink:
besides it's a risk i know i take by posting it.
if we like somebody's work so much we'd like to make one like it, too, we should find out whether they used a commercial pattern or their own design. if it's a commercial pattern, we should buy our own copy. if they believe it's their original idea, we should ask their permission. common courtesy. common sense. no worries. :wink: