The WordPress forums are there to provide support to WordPress users. Just because someone pays for hosting with a private commercial company, doesn't mean we just refer them to the support forum for their paid hosting. Instead, if we can answer the question, we do. We share the knowledge we have. We try to help out.

I can think of several legitimate reasons why a user wouldn't have support package with the provider it was purchased from- and that doesn't mean they should be locked out from asking a question:

1) Someone is building their own new theme from scratch
2) It was a custom theme made by developer who is no longer available
3) It is a child theme of something hosted in the repo
4) It was a commercial theme and their support license ran out
5) The theme was given to them (completely legal under GPL)

Why would we want to limit the freedom of people to share with and help each other? That's what I love about WordPress.

(Also, if anyone got to see Richard Stallman's talk at WordCamp SF, you know his views on piracy) Basically, he thinks it should only be used to describe "attacking ships on the high seas, kidnapping and murdering the people on them".)