I have no problem with premium themes. I see them as separate software packages that just happen to hook into a GPL'd platform. It's like saying that any application that may run on Linux has to be GPL. WordPress is a platform, like an operating system. Other software packages will hook into it, but that shouldn't dictate that the application be GPL.

That said, Chris kind of did act like a jerk. I would never try to dispute something like that in public comments. That's something for email. I think you're right, too, that he should have given him some sort of license deal in exchange for taking the theme down.