Will open source ever be completely free?

“In various markets, open source has relentlessly driven prices
down while boosting performance and customer value, as detailed by
The 451 Group. Even as traditional vendors have struggled with a
tight economy, open-source vendors have thrived.

“In the process, has open source conditioned customers to expect
more for less? Perhaps as little as $0.00? The Linux market offers
some clues.

“Open source for sale…but at what price? IDC reported in 2009
that nonpaid Linux adoption had claimed a significant share of the
Linux market, now as much as 50 percent, and counts as Red Hat’s
biggest competitor, be it unauthorized (i.e., unpaid for) use of
Red Hat Enterprise Linux or CentOS, the RHEL clone. Red Hat
continues to deliver exceptional quarterly earnings, and Novell’s
Linux business has also been growing strongly, suggesting “free”
(as in freedom) doesn’t necessarily mean “free” (as in
bankruptcy).”

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