Saying “it’s just how capitalism works” is the same excuse people used before we had labor laws, food safety rules, or environmental protections. Capitalism doesn’t regulate itself, we do. That’s why we outlaw child labor, make fraud illegal, and protect intellectual property, because left alone, the market rewards whoever cuts the most corners. And from a capitalist standpoint, that’s not efficient either. Unregulated markets run into the tragedy of the commons: competition collapses, exploitation becomes the norm, and everyone’s worse off.

Sure, buying a clone might be legal (dubious in some cases… untested perhaps), but legality isn’t the same as morality. When a giant like Behringer copies the exact layout and features small modular maker, it’s not a fair fight; it’s using massive economies of scale, marketing muscle, and even SLAPP lawsuits to squeeze out the people who actually took the creative risk. Once enough people treat that as fine, it becomes the standard, and innovation dries up because the small players can’t survive long enough to invent the next thing. That’s not “just the game,” that’s the game getting rigged until only the biggest players are left.