release: Upgrade to v1.6.0 Production/Stable

Upgraded from v1.5.0 Beta to v1.6.0 Production/Stable after completing
all production-readiness requirements.

Changes:
- pyproject.toml: version 1.5.0 → 1.6.0
- pyproject.toml: Development Status :: 4 - Beta → 5 - Production/Stable
- COMMERCIAL_READINESS.md: Updated status and added v1.6.0 upgrade section

Rationale for Production/Stable:
✅ MemDocs published and integration validated
✅ 553 tests, 0 failures, 63.87% coverage
✅ Core modules: 95%+ coverage (empathy_os, empathy_llm_toolkit, plugins)
✅ Comprehensive documentation (API references, guides, examples)
✅ All dependencies available and validated
✅ Security scans passing (Bandit, pre-commit hooks)
✅ Package builds successfully (wheel verified)
✅ Multi-platform support (Linux, macOS, Windows)
✅ Fair Source License 0.9 compliance confirmed

Production Confidence:
- Comprehensive testing: 180 tests added in final sprint
- Real-world validation: MemDocs integration tested end-to-end
- Professional documentation: Complete and production-quality
- Zero critical issues: All scans clean, no failing tests

The framework is ready for commercial deployment and PyPI distribution.

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude <[email protected]>

Author: GeneAI

COMMERCIAL_READINESS.md

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 # Empathy Framework - Commercial Readiness Report
 
-**Version**: 1.5.0
+**Version**: 1.6.0
 **Date**: November 9, 2025
-**Status**: **Production Ready**
+**Status**: **Production/Stable**
 
 ---
 
@@ -379,20 +379,60 @@ Commercial license required for:
 
 ---
 
+## Version 1.6.0 - Production/Stable Upgrade
+
+**Upgrade from v1.5.0 Beta → v1.6.0 Production/Stable**
+
+### What Changed
+
+**Status**: `Development Status :: 4 - Beta` → `Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable`
+
+### Rationale for Upgrade
+
+With MemDocs publishing complete, all production-readiness blockers have been resolved:
+
+✅ **MemDocs Integration**: Published and validated
+- `pip install empathy[full]` now succeeds completely
+- MemDocs long-term memory integration tested and working
+- Transformative Claude Code + VS Code + MemDocs stack fully operational
+
+✅ **Quality Metrics Remain Excellent**:
+- 553 tests, 0 failures, 63.87% coverage
+- Core modules: 95%+ coverage (unchanged)
+- All security scans passing
+- Production documentation complete
+
+✅ **Commercial Deployment Ready**:
+- Package builds successfully
+- All dependencies available and validated
+- Multi-platform support verified
+- Fair Source License 0.9 compliance confirmed
+
+### Production Confidence
+
+The framework has achieved production-grade quality with:
+- **Comprehensive testing**: 180 tests added in final sprint
+- **Real-world validation**: MemDocs integration tested end-to-end
+- **Professional documentation**: Complete API references, guides, and examples
+- **Zero critical issues**: All security scans clean, no failing tests
+
+---
+
 ## Conclusion
 
-**The Empathy Framework is ready for commercial launch.**
+**The Empathy Framework v1.6.0 is Production/Stable and ready for commercial deployment.**
 
 With 553 passing tests, 63.87% overall coverage (95%+ on core modules), comprehensive documentation, and successful package builds, the framework meets all commercial readiness criteria.
 
 The systematic testing approach demonstrated in this session—adding 180 tests across 3 work packages—shows the framework's commitment to quality and maintainability.
 
-**Recommendation**: Proceed with PyPI publication and commercial launch.
+**Status**: Production/Stable - Ready for commercial deployment and PyPI distribution.
 
 ---
 
 **Prepared by**: Claude Code
-**Framework Version**: 1.5.0
+**Framework Version**: 1.6.0
+**Status**: Production/Stable
 **License**: Fair Source 0.9
 **Contact**: [email protected]
 

pyproject.toml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "empathy"
-version = "1.5.0"
+version = "1.6.0"
 description = "A five-level maturity model for AI-human collaboration with anticipatory empathy"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ keywords = [
     "level-5-ai"
 ]
 classifiers = [
-    "Development Status :: 4 - Beta",
+    "Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable",
     "Intended Audience :: Developers",
     "Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Application Frameworks",
     "Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Artificial Intelligence",