I think we're talking past each other. My point is that the GPL undermines software-based business models. This is the foundation upon which GPL fear is built

I think we're talking past each other. My point is that the GPL undermines software-based business models. This is the foundation upon which GPL fear is built upon. Your point, if I understood correctly, is that the GPL gives the users freedoms to modify the software. That's all well and good (and that's why I love it), but that's unrelated to the business model. Further, you dismiss the business impact of the GPL redistribution "loophole". I recommend looking at the history of all open-source based companies to understand the real impact of that loophole. For example, VA Linux Systems or any commercial Linux distribution other than RedHat (and there, the impact of CentOS), and there's a reason Ubuntu has struggled with controversial money-making strategies like including ads in desktop searches. Undermining a business model undermines the livelihood of companies, and thus the salary and livelihood of people working in that company. That is where the fear of the GPL stems from. Understanding that fear is necessary if you hope to address it successfully.