What are free layers?

Some questions should be answered that could help to understand what free layers actually are.

1. What is the common idea behind free culture, free content, free software, free hardware, free infrastructures and a free economy?

2. What are working examples of free layered projects and why do they work and others did not?

3. Who are the people engaged in communities building free layers?
a) What do the people in these communities identify as the basis for their project? Political changes, technological changes, cultural changes?
b) What do people engaged in projects have in common, what not? - ideas, organizational structures, background.
c) What is the motivation of people to take part in these projects?
d) What are the difficulties of people engaged in projects and how do they solve problems?
e) What communication technologies do they use primarily?
f) What common cultural particularities can be identified?
g) Where do the people involved meet, work and communicate?

4. What difficulties a systems of free layers face in regards to international treaties, patents and copyright laws and censorship?