Arrrr! B-)
When you mentioned that copyrights do not protect ideas, I wondered about the existence of patents which basically gives protection to ideas, especially patents based on math and software. While patents are supposed to protect actual inventions, patents on things like the human genome or exclusive OR statements aren't exactly the kinds of things that people can create alternative inventions for.
As for freedom of choice in licensing, has anyone removed this freedom? I know I've been involved in arguments in which some people complain about the GPL because it forces them to comply to the terms of the license. No one is forcing them to use code licensed under the GPL any more than they are forced to use code licensed under an entirely different set of terms, and yet they complain about the GPL as if it is somehow forcing them to do something they don't want to do. It's just a EULA. If you don't like the terms, then don't agree to them!
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