Comment 3 for bug 953992

Reproduced on Windows XP, Inkscape trunk revision 11649.

The imported pattern is not in the defs section. When the pattern is applied to the rectangle for the first time, the rectangle fill is linked to the pattern directly. Then when you move the rectangle, Inkscape creates an extra pattern linked to the crosses, and the rectangle fill is linked to the new pattern (that's how patterns created in Inkscape work). But unfortunately, the intermediate pattern doesn't seem to find the crosses.

Workaround: select the group imported from AI (your pattern shape) and convert it to pattern with Alt+I. The imported pattern is then correctly located in the defs and can be used as the stock patterns.