Everytime I copy pages from one ID CS3 doc to another, it re-applies the master page objects!!

Question

Please Help,
This is a topic I would really like to get to the bottom of.
We have InDesign CS3 templates for creating our reports.
These templates contain around 10 different master pages with grey placeholder image boxes and text boxes with dummy text.
When we copy pages from one ID document to another, all the master page objects that were originally assigned to the pages are re-applied!!
Resulting in lots of grey dummy boxes and text boxes re-appearing on top of the page items!!
It's so annoying because we always customise the pages once we've pulled down master pages to work on, so when we copy pages across to other documents we have to apply the blank master to be able to kick out all the master objects easily.  Then we need to add the page numbers and footers back onto the blank master page.
My question is, is there a way to switch this off, so when I move or copy pages from one document to another, nothing happens relating to master page objects, the pages simply just copy across as they are?
Please help!  If not I may have to ask an external developer to write a script to fix this, it drives 900 of us crazy!
thanks in advance for any help.
Or am I just being ridiculous and not actually realising you can switch this off, doh!
G

Answer 1

Just a bit of further clarification on this issue (very few people really understand what's going on with master pages and overridden master page items):
When you override a master page item, the object is moved to a local page, but a connection is maintained with the original master page item. This a) allows for the override to be removed (and return the object to its original state). This also, b) allows for changes made to the original master page item (other than the changes made to the local item from the point that it was overridden) to effect the local item as well.
When the connection to the master page item cannot be maintained, the local item gets disconnected totally from the master page, and becomes a regular, run-of-the-mill page item.
In light of this, there's three ways you can end up with duplicate master items:
Reapplying a master page (or applying a new one). When you reapply a master, all overridden master page items get detached from the master, and the original mster page item appears again in its original state. Most of the time this produces unwanted duplication of objects. To fix up your page, you have two options: a) Delete the master page item, and b) copying the contents of the original to the new master page item. The disadvantage of "a" is that you end up with an item which is totally detached from the master, and changing the item on the master will have no effect on the local item. The disadavantage of "b" is that it's a lot of work...
Moving a page to a different document. When you move a page to a different document which has the same master as the one originally applied, the master in the new doc is applied, and the effects are identical to reapplying a master page (i.e. overridden objects are detached). If the applied master (i.e. a master with the same name) does not exist in the new doc, the master is transferred over to the new doc along with the page, and the connections to the master page are preserved (well, re-created actually...). The workarounds in case #1 apply here as well.
When page sides change in a document, the objects on the facing page appears.
What happens here is a bit confusing, but here's an approximate explanation:
When you apply a master to a page or spread in InDesign, what you are actually doing is applying an entire spread to an individual page. You can thing of a master spread as an overlay (or more precisely: underlay) on the page with a window cut out to the exact page dimensions.
When the page side changes that "window cut-out" shifts to show the master spread items which correspond to the position within the spread of your current page (i.e. recto or verso). All objects which exist outside the window shift out of view (but still exist!).
When an object is overridden, the position of the object is defined by its location on the local page, NOT its position on the master spread. When the page then changes sides, the object remains where it was on the page (even though the object it's connected to on the master spread moves out of the window of view). A corresponding object on the facing page of the master (if it exists) will then show in addition to the overridden one.
Now remember: contrary to the first two cases, both objects are based on master ones: one visible one and one invisible one.
Dealing with this third case requires much more care than the first two.
The obvious way to deal with this would be similar to the first two, but if you remove the local object and transfer the content to the new maste object, the invisible master object on the non-visible page was actually removed, so when the page sides change again, the object will now be connected to the now-invisible master page item, and the correct master page item will be gone!
The "correct" way to deal with this would be to transfer the content to the new master page item and remove overrides (not delete!) on the local item (which will make it disappear, because it moves back to the invisible page). Of course, when page sides change again, it becomes necessary to repeat the entire process.
If the local object gets deleted, then your master spread is missing objects with no visible indicator of the fact. This can lead to confusion when the document might be edited at some later point in time.
I believe that this complicated and un-intuitive behavior of master pages is part of the reason people tend to avoid using master page items. Documents tend to get messed up in really odd ways... It's a real shame, because extensive use of master page items has a lot of potential for streamlining workflows and saving an awful lot of time. This behavior really puts a damper on really using master pages as templates.
Getting master page items to work the way they "should" was a big part of what I was trying to accomplish with AutoFlow Pro... When the master page items are defined as such (i.e. given a unique name), AutoFlow Pro solves all three of the above issues by keeping overridden master page items connected to the master page items on the currently applied master (and when a new master is applied as well!).
(When I have a bit of spare time, I think I'll write this up on my blog with some visuals to make this easier to grasp...)
Harbs