Why is MPL *recommended* to module maintainers of the Scala Platform?

An observation, as someone who both uses a lot of open-source libraries and has contributed a growing collection of them: this statement turns me off quite strongly. As a rule, I avoid libraries with licenses that force me to do anything – it’s one of a number of reasons why I won’t have anything to do with any variant of the GPL. I’ve never worked for a company that allowed use of such licenses (and mind, I’ve tried to do so at multiple companies), and I’d be cautious about using them myself.

Yes, there are edge cases where companies commit abuses, and those are sad. They’re also fairly rare, and mostly limited to big systems, rather than libraries – the Android OS is by no means representative of the typical library. I strongly prefer to operate in a spirit of free use as one chooses – that’s why I’ve usually gravitated towards the MIT license for my own work. Especially for reasonably self-contained libraries, I think that’s the best approach both for myself and for the community.

Mind, if somebody wants to MPL their library, that’s their choice. But I’m getting a sense that you’re pushing people in that direction, and I do not agree – it should be freely up to library authors, and the SC shouldn’t be getting into the particular battleground any more than it must. I really don’t think you should be doing any more than providing a balanced description of the trade-offs in license choice…

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