The Paste Remembers Layers option determines where artwork is pasted in the layer hierarchy. By default, Paste Remembers Layers is off, and artwork is pasted into whichever layer is active in the Layers panel. When Paste Remembers Layers is on, artwork is pasted into the layer from which it was copied, regardless of which layer is active in the Layers panel.

You set this option by selecting Paste Remembers Layers from the Layers panel menu. A check mark displays when the option is on.

Turn on Paste Remembers Layers if you’re pasting artwork between documents and you want to automatically place it into a layer of the same name as that from which it originated. If the target document does not have a layer of the same name, Illustrator creates a new layer.