[linux-audio-dev] GPL concerns

Hey everyone. I have a bland but important question for everyone. Say hypothetically a company is developing an audio product using lots of GPL source, but for whatever marketing reasons asks for NDA concerning the codebase. Lots of GPL work is referenced and at least dynamically linked, and though the company has directly stated that it will release the codebase publicly with the product release (once it is complete). I am curious as to the general feel in the community on such practices. Would this 1) be a violation of the GPL, 2) if it is how tolerant would the OSS community be, considering the general good intent of the project, and 3) if I were asked to sign such a NDA would that document be a binding agreement even if the NDA itself might be a violation of the GPL since it is inherently counterintuitive to the intent of the GPL. Anyway, I know some of you have already been there with the fun NDA stuff and thought you the best bunch of people to ask before getting myself stuck in a NDA I am not completely comfortable with. The current project cycle (hypothetically) is two years. I know this is happening in the industry quite frequently already, but I am not sure I completely agree or disagree with the practice (assuming the codebase does make it into the public domain). On one hand I can sympathize with the difficulties involved in bringing new products to market and how leaks in early design phases can undercut profits enormously. On the otherhand I would love to see more companies taking an open and community approach to product development such as open ICs, and even open business management. I am sure this would happen a lot more if such efforts were a tax write off :), but then we live in the world we live in. Any thoughts, references to successful business models concerning hardware development with free software, and legal cautions are all greatly appreciated. Yours truly, Shane PS I apologize in advance for any redundancy on this subject :).