More likely here following the law in this instance isn’t part of your value system, and neither is free/libre software being used on its authors’ terms, so you are (internally) free to decide to buy something even if it doesn’t adhere to the GPL. If I’m right about that, adherence to these things is a (maybe very-)nice-to-have rather than a core value, whereas the GP I think is coming from a place where one of those is a core value.

I wonder if absent the Linux kernel they be capable of offering a one of a kind product? It would be more accurate here to say that if they could keep their code proprietary that would be nice for them, but unfortunately the Linux kernel offers them a one of a kind base to build a product on and so they need to take the compromise and release their modifications as GPL if they want to be able to build a good product.