  A subset $S$ of vertices in a planar graph $G$ is a free set if, for every
set $P$ of $|S|$ points in the plane, there exists a straight-line
crossing-free drawing of $G$ in which vertices of $S$ are mapped to distinct
points in $P$. In this survey, we review
  - several equivalent definitions of free sets, - results on the existence of
large free sets in planar graphs and subclasses of planar graphs, - and
applications of free sets in graph drawing.
  The survey concludes with a list of open problems in this still very active
research area.
