Nodes and miners are free to change their own local rules for accepting and relaying transactions, but this isn't currently easy since it involves recompiling the client, or using an alternative client.
On the wiki it states a workaround to the fee by using a different client (i.e. the 0.01 transaction fee is built in to the standard client). Is there a list somewhere, or can you name any alternative clients that do not enforce the fee?