There has been lots of discussions on the matter of patent laws, what one can do and what one should not do. Most do not know the law and some think they know the laws. Here is a link so that all can read. This will help most to know if they are breaking the law or not.
http://www.uspto.gov/patents/law/index.jsp
There is a condensed version of the law.
I recommend that everyone that is making product and using patterns downloaded from free sites and other sites to read this.