Yeah, it sucks. But it’s been that way for awhile.
It’s just getting worse, though. My grandmother had a friend who invented an electric engine sometime in the 50s or 60s, patented it, the whole thing. Apparently, the feds confiscated it as being a “threat to national security” and completely destroyed him. From what transpired with Tucker, that’s not too far fetched. I’m sure there are plenty of other similar stories out there.
I’m reminded of a stand up comedian’s joke I once heard about someone who announces they’ve invented an engine that runs on tap water, who’s quickly shot dead by a mysterious assassin moments later.
The late 1950’s series One Step Beyond, (similar to The Twilight Zone except the stories were supposed to be based on factual events) had an episode about an inventor who suddenly vanishes after demonstrating a pellet that turned water into gasoline.