If it rendered GPL ineffective, then the company couldn't use GPL software at all
That's not the case at all. Plenty of countries have laws the make parts of various licences invalid, and it doesn't mean you can't use the software - it just means those clauses don't apply.
That's not the case at all. Plenty of countries have laws the make parts of various licences invalid, and it doesn't mean you can't use the software - it just means those clauses don't apply.