> You don't need a seat there to use the extensive C++ ecosystem.
Thanks to GCC and Sun, and later Apple.
GCC was a toy compiler until Sun decided to start charging for their UNIX development SDK, which made many companies contribute to GCC's development.
Likewise if it wasn't for GPLv3, Apple would probably never bothered to create clang.
> With Adacore it's either GPLv3 all the way or you pay up
Actually I do have issues with people earning money with the work from others for free without contributing anything back.
GPLv3 is quite appealing for free software.
Want to earn money without contributing anything back? Use commercial licensed software.
> Also, to underline their gatekeeper status even more: they could one day decide to stop releasing their compiler to GNAT, without giving any reason, and there's nothing anyone could do about it.
There is always the very latest GPLv3 version, that everyone willing to contribute can carry on using.