why would capitalists give away for free?

to make money, of course. very good article on (and against) software patents: “why IBM is giving away something for nothing“, financial times.

does that prove communism is alive and well and living on the internet? not quite. “the point is not that we’d be better off without proprietary technology, or without property at all,” writes prof lessig in his book, the future of ideas. “the point, instead, is one that has been obvious since the birth of our republic – that a balance between proprietary and non-proprietary property is better than either extreme.”

(via howard rheingold’s smartmobs)