I've just peripherally following this, I've never used unity or anything that uses it. I'm just wondering why they handled this so badly. Was it deliberate, like "take the bandaid off" or were they just out to lunch?

Aren't there pr firms you can hire to help with this, and focus group and whatnot so you don't have to enrage the internet and then issue "clarifications". I'm always amazed when big companies are so bush league. Hire a consultant to help if you're not sure, they've probably lost millions in goodwill over this.

Edit: to clarify, I'm not really talking about the policy change, more the way they announced it, received all kinds of criticism, then "clarified". There may for example be a business reason why they are ok with pissing off some customers, but why not get the messaging right the first time?