For B2B contracts of this kind of size a solution is to insist on clauses with very steep damages in the event of evidence of specific measures to prevent third party service or similar, coupled with never again dealing with a manufacturer like this.
The bigger problem is when manufacturers pull stunts like this on customers who can't afford and/or don't have sufficient financial incentive to figure out the underlying problem.
The bigger problem is when manufacturers pull stunts like this on customers who can't afford and/or don't have sufficient financial incentive to figure out the underlying problem.