What are the benefits and drawbacks of using premade graphics for relief carving with a laser?

There are many grayscale graphics for relief carving available for purchase. A lot of work goes into these drawings, so they tend to be relatively expensive. They are usually sold in a format that is scalable to a certain extent, but not editable. The advantages are that there are many designs available, they are usually tested for results, and are available for immediate use. One disadvantage is that they are available to your competitors and not unique to your operations.

   —COOLaserCraft