Not to put too fine a point on it, "Free software" was invented to level the playing field. Copyleft was an attempt on building an ecosystem with a level playi

Not to put too fine a point on it, "Free software" was invented to level the playing field. Copyleft was an attempt on building an ecosystem with a level playing field. Nobody has more or less abilities with respect to the code. The receiver of the code has the same abilities as the copyright holder (with the exception of being able to change the license). When you choose a more permissive license, it may still be free software, but it may not promote a level playing field. This suits a lot of companies, but it's not that good for programmers (unless you are in the employ of said companies). As an independent programmer, copyleft (or share-alike) is your friend. I find it strange that this is a controversial point.