My sister-in-law does this to me, fortunately she lives an hour away and I just never have the pattern when we're together so eventually she forgets about it.

But, copyright aside, when people create designs they are entitled to be rewarded for their creativity, and protected against "poachers" for their efforts. It irks me that people put so little value on someone else's accomplishment and their deserved right to reap a benefit from it.

Right up there with kids who expect an inheritance. I tell my son we did not work hard all our lives to leave our money to him - we plan to spend it all!!

Just say, "No." No excuses, no rationalization. You could say, "Yes, please do come over for a cup of tea/coffee. I'd like for you to visit, but I am not sharing the pattern." [amen] [end of conversation]

I agree...A copyright is a copyright...You would be breaking the law and you would be cheating your friend out of hard earned money...

No is a perfectly good answer. Some people just don't believe it when they hear it. So next time, tell her No with a smile. (If that doesn't work, you could opt for "cheap-a** b**** but that's not very ladylike. lol)

Just a question. Is it all right to sell her the pattern? Would that be breaking the copyright law?

Me too that is what i would say....but not laughingly :evil:

You did well. I would have done something similar. Copyright is copyright, and the price is due the creator of the pattern.

I wonder if your designer friend needs a pattern tester? The other friend could help work out the kinks of her next pattern and get it for free. Now that I think about it, that wouldn't work because she might give away copies. But if she saw all the work that goes into a design (particularly a BOM) that might be a life lesson.
I have two friends who design and I feel protective of them and their creativity.

Yes, she could sell her copy of the pattern so long as she doesn't make another copy to keep. It is making a copy of the pattern that is illegal even if you just plan on giving the copy away.

I had a friend who was constantly copying patterns for another friend. We worked at a LQS & she would do this when the boss wasn't there. I asked her to please not do that in front of me because it put me in a really bad position. Her response was that she just considered it "sharing". So I asked her if she saw a homeless person on the street, would she go in to the local supermarket, grab a loaf of bread, a pkg of bologne, pkg of cheese & some mayo & walk out the door & give it to the homeless person w/out paying for it. She got this really appalled look on her face & very adamently said "NO!" I then asked her why she felt it was okay to "share" the property of a quilt designer when she wouldn't share the property of a supermarket owner. I don't know if she stopped doing this, but at least she didn't do it in front of me any more.