IE has been FREE for years. It was free about 10 years ago when Netscape was its major competition. It's always been free. Where have you been? There's never been a charge for IE.
The charge is hidden in the price of Windows.
OK, let's look at a different example: Homeshopping. I'm sure you've seen those offers: "If you buy product X, you'll get product Y for FREE!" Anyone with a basic understanding of economics will tell you that product Y is not really free as long as you have to buy product X to get it (or be able to use it)!