I appreciate that the subject is a complex one and a lot turns on the individual circumstances.
In this case my position is based on principle rather than circumstance....
No, I've never heard of Richard Stallman,
In that case we will have difficulty discussing a lot of the principles. Briefly, he believes that trading in ideas can be deeply destructive of human society. Trading in ideas has gone hand-in-hand with objects for so long that it takes an effort to appreciate the difference, and it has only become apparent with the rise of the web, which provides a carrier for the free transfer of ideas and information. The press and the entertainment industry are feeling the first bit of pressure at the moment - it is likely to become an unstoppable torrent everywhere. Legal and technical attempts are being made to stem the pressure - these have continually failed in the past, are becoming ever more draconian, and still do not look likely to succeed in the future, unless everyone's brains can somehow be controlled. The technical attempts have already damaged software development badly, for no gain.
Stallman reckons that business models and commercial activity can flourish in a new world of much freer information exchange, but that current businesses will need to adapt and understand just what it is that they are selling. He sees attempts to hold back the tide as misguided and doomed to failure - akin to the buggy-whip manufacturers who complained that they would be put out of business by the arrival of the motor car, and lobbied for its abolition...
As I said, this field is complex, and little to do with model boats! Please do not develop this thread by asking for examples - look at some of the extensive literature in the field. It is a big subject, all of your initial questions are bound to be answered somewhere....
