Perhaps EMG has some a patent, as they're the only quick-connect product I know of.
If they DO have a patent, I say good for them. It's a little more innovative than double-cream coils, and should've been thought of before they introduced them.
That just reminded me, awhile back, I was talking pickups with a local shop owner. He said that sometime back, a company (couldn't remember who) had introduced a guitar with a snap-in pickup changing system. You could get a vintage, a medium, a really hot one, or a single coil. The problem was, most players aren't like the members of this forum. They typically get a decent sound, and never change it. I'd imagine that most of Seymour (or DiMarzio, or EMG)'s customers get a pickup, are blown away by how much better it sounds, and never think about trying a different one.
Still, though, it would be cool to change without firing up the iron everytime.