A couple of things:

The patent is not an NACA airfoil shape. It was filed by Hed as something very vague along the lines of a "wheel where the rim bulges wider than the brake tracks". Zipp filed for hybrid toroidal and Zipp and Hed decided to share each patent.

The Patent as far as I understand patent law has expired. It was filed for in 1989. Patents last for 20 years from application or 17 years from being granted or some business like that. A company can file for an extension but I don't believe they have.

Some asian companies were rumored to have toroidal rims at interbike.

$2700 is a crap ton of money, but it's also about what Edge is charging for their 68 carbon clinchers. Edge may have better construction techniques, but they've never spent one dollar on wind tunnel development, so it's tough to say what "value" is. Some people value wheels that you can jack up spoke tension on, some value a company who builds entirely in the U.S. and develops in the wind tunnel.

I too am becoming more and more skeptical about every iteration of Zipps being so much faster than the previous. When does it end?