Jerome has a valid point: despite laws and regulations, companies can, do and will use passive-aggressive and FUD tactics to create or reinforce open source hurdles, tacitly or overtly. In the end the method of resistance doesn't matter to the average consumer who neither knows nor cares about the technical details or that solutions could be within their grasp with a little education. They just want a no-hassle service... hence the seduction of Skype.

Oh crap... I just made the Lemming argument.