More plausible scenario is them becoming an abandonware, but even in those cases the community can carry the torch.
More plausible scenario is them becoming an abandonware, but even in those cases the community can carry the torch.
The impact of developer good will is difficult to measure, so I don't attempt it. Redis burned community good will so badly with their relicensing that several forks rapidly emerged. Seemed like a predictably poor decision to me.
I also don't want to pick favorite companies, because it's subjective, companies can change strategies or even sell projects off. What if Meta decided to sell React to a patent-troll-like company instead of just abandoning it?
[1] https://alexsci.com/relicensing-monitor/projects/kubernetes/
There are valid reasons to have a CLA: confirmation that your contributions are not encumbered by an employer contract is a good one. What there is rarely an excuse for is a copyright assignment, which often gets bundled into a CLA.
The only non-nefarious example of copyright assignment that I can think of is the FSF, but only because they have such a strong record on software freedom.