Will free energy really be "free"

The recent threads regarding "intellectual property rights" got me thinking. Normally, you build a power generator that burns fuel or converts energy that has been generated elsewhere, so after the cost of infrastructure is payed off, you actually pay a small amount for energy generation fees and the rest goes towards all the overhead a power company charges.

But with a theoretical "free energy" device, once you buy the mechanism, it should create energy forever for free, right?

But what if this device existed and they just charge you some sort of license fee for each time you use it based on its patent? Then it would be creating free energy, but in order to use it, you would still be paying forever to the owner of the intellectual copyright.

< sarcasm >Sounds good, doesn't it?< /sarcasm >

[edit on 6-3-2008 by ben91069]