> Is there anyone who knows of any legal reason I
> can't distribute a program
> to drive the PICstart+ outside of MPLAB?

As long as you've figured out how to do it without use of Microchip
confidential information (that you would have signed a non-disclosure
agreement to get), there is no reason why you shouldn't publish it.

There is a very small chance that some patent might be infringed.  There is no
way to ever avoid this problem when manufacturing, selling, or publishing
anything.  However, I've looked at all the patents I can find that are
assigned to Microchip, and they don't seem to have any that would relate to
communications to the PICSTART.

Eric