@Andreas Nurbo - I get it. He should have licensed thesis under the GPL from the start, that would make everything else irrelevant.

I didn't say the word spirit. It's my opinion that if a developer creates a theme or plugin that is not licensed under the GPL like the platform it works on and is used by millions of people, that is a slap in the face to everyone who has contributed to the project. It's like piggy backing on the success while at the same time, putting shackles on end users. Developers that want to license their work under some other license because they don't like the GPL should use a platform that conforms to their tastes. It's pretty simple really. The four freedoms mentioned as part of the GPL software have been enough to help propel WordPress to the level of success it's experiencing today. These freedoms have also enabled very successful business to be built around and on top of the software.

The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).

The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).

The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

What I don't understand is why you are for the idea of themes and plugins to have a proprietary license within an open and free environment. From my perspective, you've been fighting for the rights of developers to license their work however they please, regardless of the license the platform they are building on or around has. Why is that or am I missing the boat?

I don't care about all the mumbo jumbo and all the legal crap in every other post. If you just license your stuff under the GPL just like the platform your building on top of, then there are no problems. Why go against the grain when you can go with the flow where everyone is happy.