Question of the day: Many years ago I made a hexagon quilt using the stack and whack book. Now I see all the OBW quilts and think.. isnt that the same pattern?? I know they have octagons too but how can someone sell something as a new pattern/idea, make a book, sell it using someone elses idea? We can't copy copywritten items.. it doesnt make sense unless I am forgetting how the Stack and Whack tutorial went vs the OBW tutorial. It seems the same to me. I recall sewing them in rows too vs sewing them together and insetting the seams. Confused I guess. My latest is a OBW and hopefully will be done by mid week next. I am not as fast as I was a dozen years ago sigh...

As far as the copyright is concerned, you are basically cutting triangles, so there's no real pattern. The books have different ideas on how to arrange the resultant hexagon blocks.
This is my take. There are 2 main book series out there, OBW and Stack & Whack. In both, you find the fabric repeats and carefully stack them. Both these methods produce kalidescope blocks. To me a One Block Wonder quilt takes the fabric and reduces it to colors. You just cut strips and triangles, without regard for the fabric pattern. Although you get some beautiful blocks, the individual blocks are not important, it's the overall arrangement into a new fabric where the colors flow that counts. The individual blocks melt into each other. The Stack and Whack method seems to highlight the individual kalidescope blocks that are created by surrounding them with other fabrics, making them the center piece of a larger block. this is where you would fussy cut your stacked pieces to get the prettiest blocks.
I've since stumbled on "Doubledipty: More Serendipity Quilts" which is similar to the stack and whack. IF you have left over kalidescope blocks, you need this book! She (Sara Nephew) really enhances the kalidescope blocks, she also has several border patterns.

The creature in your avatar is so cute, looks like a squirrel, but the tails not right!

I learn something new on here every single day. Fascinating info.

one other difference is the OBW has equallateral triangles. You can turn each triangle to get a whole different look in the block. and then there is usually no sashing.

They aren't copyrighting the pattern, they are writing a book about how to make the pattern using their own words and using their own illustrations. The book is copyrighted, but not the pattern. All it is, is triangles. There are lots of books about Lonestar quilts. The pattern itself isn't proprietary, it's the instructions and illustrations each author puts into the book that is. Does that make sense?