Kuno Woudt wrote at 08:56 (CE ST):
(sidenote, I don't see google demanding a permissive license in [1], is there a different agreement I should be aware of?) http://www.android.com/us/developer-distribution-agreement.html
No, the thing I'm talking about is still in there:
You grant to Google a nonexclusive, worldwide, and royalty-free license to: copy, distribute, perform, display, and use the Products in connection with the Market and the Android platform.
This prevents distribution of software through the Market that makes use of GPL'd code licensed from others. In fact, it will have this effect on code released under anything but the most permissive free software licenses. For example, it would also prevent incorporation other people's LGPLed or MPLed code.
As a software developer I want people to use my software, so I cannot simply ignore the incredible marketshare of these platforms. I have to make a choice.
Copyleft/permissive is always about that kind of choice, so I don't necessarily see this situation as any different.
I think this comes down to the old question of whether it is better to promote free software by only supporting sufficiently open and free platforms, and thereby depriving large groups of users of the opportunity to learn about free software through your application.
Again, classic trade-off related to copyleft/permissive.