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Because of legacy hardware. Getting loads of locks re-cored is expensive.

There's probably thousands of undeveloped patents preventing innovation too. I have a naive idea of how to get around the legacy locks problem without re-coring but I'm sure patents would stop any development.

Wow! Patents foster innovation again!

You'll get sued anyway, relevant patent or not. Just give it a shot if you can.

Not sure why I was downvoted. A 2 minute search yields just these patents:

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7069755.html

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5701828.html

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5974367.html

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5999095.html

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6325429.html

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6867685.html

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6483424.html

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6609738.html

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5886644.html

I would happily pay a locksmith to replace locks. But there's no electronic system I've seen that didn't suck.

maybe somebody could make some shape-shifting general purpose key, locked/jailed down to only take the shapes matching the locks in your possession. Would need some very small actuators -- I guess, it's doable.

I am down to two, but some are replaced with bulkier plastic fobs.