Right, I think the individual should continue to get special access forever. It's a terrible idea to cut off people doing something cool with your platform because of what? Saving the negligible cost of supporting their volume of API calls? A message to developers that rules are strictly enforced? Not exactly a PR win.

>Right, I think the individual should continue to get special access forever. It's a terrible idea to cut off people doing something cool with your platform because of what?

Because "special access" means free in this case.

Do you realize you are arguing that a customer should have free access forever, while others customers pay? Do you know what type of liability that is for any business?

There's nothing unusual about charging commercial users of a product while not charging non-commercial users. Academic and non-profit discounts, down to making your product free to them, are extremely commonplace. There's nothing unusual about sponsoring interesting projects, or making special arrangements when it's mutually beneficial. Giving a tiny customer free access forever, and getting a bunch of goodwill associated with their brand in return, is not a liability, it's good business.

There is something unusual with a contract for free access to a paid service that goes to perpetuity, no matter how many times you try to redefine it.