Increased offshoring to an area will, in time, increase the quality of living in those locations, causing an increased cost of living, which means wages will rise. It's a cycle. It's basic economics.

http://news.com.com/Will+India+price+itself+out+of+offshore+market%3F/2100-1022_3-5180589.html

Patents and IP are good things. IP drives innovation and quality. For example, if a company doesn't think they can compete against a free system that's poorly implemented, they won't pursue the product. IMHO, proprietary systems are better implemented because companies have to compete with other companies and must rely on product revenue to survive. Developers of free software do not have the same incentive. One of the many (often overlooked) negative side effects of free software in the commercial space.

- surf