These folks didn't invent the CNC ecosystem. They didn't even invent the realatively inexpensive laser cutter. If the firmware is GPL, I'm fairly certain plenty of existing toolkits will get drivers for the it in short order.
But then you still have a totally different product.
If I buy hardware and software, and can execute the software on my own systems, I can run that combination for as long as I like exactly like on day 1, and as the product was advertised.
If I buy hardware and only borrow the software, I have a big problem the moment the access to the software goes away. The open source release of the firmware is a good step to ensure I might get out of the story with more than a paperweight, but won't let me keep using the product I once bought and wanted to use.
The maker world already has lots and lots of alternatives for existing laser printers, homebrew things etc. The toolchains are getting more robust by the day - heck the CUPS just added compatibility layers for gcode based "printers" (laser cutters, 3d printers, etc). This simplifies even further the common use case for low-end laser cutters - turning an illustrator or pdf file into a cut device.
