Although it exists in a different market, why don't fashion designers go out of business? There's nothing stopping people from producing cheap knock-offs. Some

Although it exists in a different market, why don't fashion designers go out of business? There's nothing stopping people from producing cheap knock-offs. Some people want the "real deal". In fashion, that's because some consumers are superficial and vain and want to signal their wealth by getting the official stuff instead of using their wealth for something worthwhile. But for a case like System76, some consumers might care about funding the company that is doing the innovation that they appreciate… At any rate, your question applies to all open-source software — how is it not doomed to be unfunded or go out of business? It's much easier to distribute software than to compete with a hardware company!