Well Kodi has been in development for way before there were smartphones or Android. They are a group of well intentioned, talented developers who all contribute their considerable time, resources and skills to make a program that was, is and will hopefully always be ahead of the times. It is one of the best examples of what can be accomplished with open source development and is still continuing strongly in spite of all this undeserved controversy.

As far as I can tell, they aren't a big conglomerate that is all about making money or boosting their brand, they are a not-for-profit organization of selfless individuals who do this because they have a passion for media.

If by makers of the boxes you mean the sellers that offer the loaded piracy boxes, these are the same guys who would sell you direct TV cards, or cable filter removers back in the day. There will always be a niche group who will try to rip off something and try to get stuff for free and then turn around and offer it to people to try and make a quick buck, and Kodi, 3rd party add-ons and cheap Android SOC's have just made this the latest target.

But as the original post says, I think we are starting to see the end of this particular stint. This judgment will set a precedent going forward and open the floodgates for prosecutions of these box sellers. Once they realize that it's not worth the risk, they will start to turn their attention elsewhere towards something that is easier.

At least until that new thing becomes popular enough that it gains enough traction to show up on the radar and then it's the whole cycle over again. People like that never change, they will always find some way to skate by and avoid honest work by trying to capitalize on the fad of the day.