I want to create an open source project. How to make money - it's clear, it's not clear how to defend yourself?

Question

Electronics

I'll give you an analogy. Suppose there are a lot of manufacturers of digital cameras in the world (this is just an analogy, in real life we ​​are not talking about cameras), each camera has its own software - some is better, some is worse (software is a desktop, not online and not firmware). Let's also assume that the vast majority of manufacturers are concentrated in China.
The idea is to collect all the best features from all manufacturers, create the best and most convenient software and release it in open source. Earnings - camera manufacturers switch to new software and pay my software company for each license, say $3. For non-commercial amateur enthusiasts trying to create their own camera, the software is free.
It is obvious that two types of licenses arise, this is understandable.
It is not clear how to prevent the case when Chinese manufacturers score on all licenses, take software for free and release 100,500 cameras with it.

Answer 1

It seems that the most realistic model is when the software is written closed, with a commercial license, but the plugin mechanism is provided. At the same time, plugins can be both open / free and paid, and then who will write what. For business, this model looks even better - an ecosystem of amateurs and entrepreneurs can form around software.
I would like to add - by and large, I don’t care about doing it open source or selling it closed, the question is not that I want to write at the expense of someone and then sell it.
The idea of ​​open source arose for the following reasons - to make software popular; not take money from enthusiasts, but give them full control; get feedback and testing.

Answer 2

Earnings - camera manufacturers switch to new software and pay my software company for each license, say $3

You don't seem to understand what open source is, do you?
And about the Chinese, I can give you an analogy with our government, which is so violently blocking all trackers.
Here on the tracker is Call of Duty. You can try to play. I'll download, I'll take the evening.
Here the tracker is not available and CoD is in the store for 200 rubles. Well, nah, contra is not so bad.
This is what I mean, create-don't-create your "open source", the Chinese will find a firmware for themselves. And in any case, you will not receive money from them.

Answer 3

No manufacturer will buy obscure crap for their camera.
I will repeat once again, as a person with experience in embedded.
No manufacturer will buy obscure crap for their camera, especially one that doesn't make money. They make money on the production of devices, and not convenient software for them, so they would rather release cameras with a shitty desktop application developed inside than buy something from the outside.
Therefore, if you can make software that will definitely work with different hardware (and do not forget that not all manufacturers give access to their camera as a mountable disk), then the target audience will be users who will hack very quickly and put it on torrents.

Answer 4

create the best and most convenient software and release it in open source. Earnings - camera manufacturers switch to new software and pay my company that owns the software for each license

It's necessary not to understand the subject you are talking about so much - open source! ;-)

Answer 5

you will earn
many times more
on infe - how to make the Chinese pay