This is, ahem, patently untrue. My uncle has invented a new type of sprinkler head (think bearded guy tweaking in his garage for years), patented it and made a

This is, ahem, patently untrue. My uncle has invented a new type of sprinkler head (think bearded guy tweaking in his garage for years), patented it and made a decent chunk of money out of it. The factory that bought the license inventing something like this would've required a lot of time and possibly they doesn't have the talent anyways. It is almost obvious that he himself to enter the sprinkler head manufacturing market would've been extraordinarily difficult and much more risky. The system works. It is abused, yes, but it does work.