Obviously, it would. Are you recommeding people give their houses away, or would they do better by selling them? Or are you seriously claiming there is no difference between the two? Can I have your house then, or whatever you might actually own?
You saying that we should give away our possessions misses the point entirely. I don't give away my possessions because I want everything to be free as in beer. That's just simply nonsense. But I do release the TI programs, as well as the documentation I've written under an open-source license (GPLv2) because I know people can use what I have as a base, and somewhere down the line, I can get an improved product--it goes full-circle.
By releasing code as Open Source, IBM is hoping to tap into the knowledge base of Russian programmers--which in the end can lead to an increase in sales overseas. Why? Open-Source programming is a powerful resource that drive innovation. Innovation keeps companies alive by increasing sales.
Russia, China, and the Mideast are increasing their industrial output--the demand for computer equipment is extremely high, and for professionals the demand is skyrocketing.
In the end, IBM's making a wise move by tapping their resources, but you just won't admit it.