some objects won't copy between documents

[David-16]

If I generate text from cairo and create an svg output, I'm able to see the
text from inkscape, but attempts to copy that text to a new document fail.
As an example, in the source code that I will attach, an svg file is
created with an "X" in the center of of a square. If I copy the grouped
object containing the square and the "X" into a new document, only the
square appears... the X doesn't show up. Where did it go?

[Tom Davidson (tjd-mit)]

I assume the SVG is the same as the one (foo.svg) at your bug 16703?

I've reduced this file to an even simpler one with just the green 'X' that still shows the bug, it's attached as foo2.svg

Steps to reproduce:
1) select and copy the 'X'
2) new file
3) paste into the new file

I've saved the new file, which looks blank below as foo2-paste.svg

The problem is that the glyph that defines the 'X' is not copied over to the new file. Unfortunately I can't diagnose this any further, but it certainly looks buggy!

[Tom Davidson (tjd-mit)]

This is being confirmed on SVN rev 16978, Jan 7.

[Tom Davidson (tjd-mit)]

Also worth noting is that Firefox (2.0.0.11) doesn't render the 'X' in the original file, so maybe there is a problem with the file...
Setting low priority for now since only reported with non-Inkscape generated files

[su_v (suv-lp)]

The 'X' is a clone (SVG <use>) referencing an SVG <symbol> stored in the <defs> section. Copy&pasting a clone into a new document does not automatically copy&paste the original (or <symbol> object), nor does it automatically unlink the clone and insert a copy of the original (or <symbol>) either, as tracked in
- Bug #167907 "Copying cloned objects between files fails”
  <https://bugs.launchpad.net/inkscape/+bug/167907>

Linking as duplicate to bug #167907 - please revert the duplicate status if you don't agree and think these are different issues which need to be tracked separately.