Bye bye, China

[Mawsley]

<span class="articleLocatio</span>n">(Reuters) - Some of the leading U.S. producers of electronic cigarettes are moving their manufacturing to the United States from China in response to growing concern about quality and the prospect of tighter federal regulations.



In recent weeks, some of the best-selling U.S. e-cigarette companies, including closely held Mistic and White Cloud, announced that they would move production to new, highly automated U.S. factories that would enable them to track ingredients and quality more closely. As a fringe benefit, they even expect costs to be lower than in China, the country that invented the battery-powered cartridges that produce a nicotine-laced inhalable vapor.


"People are concerned about quality," said Bonnie Herzog, a senior analyst at Wells Fargo Securities, who expects more manufacturing to shift to the United States.

</span>

Source

Interesting but logical twist I didn't see coming. I wonder how many others will follow suit and where it will leave Shenzhen. With 80%-odd of the global market using cigalikes this could leave a huge hole in China's ecig operations.

Also, given that Herbert Gilbert's US patent pre-dates Hon Lik's, it'll be interesting to see how this pans out legally for Imperial Tobacco.

 

[Mawsley]

Oh, forgot - Patent Wars in the Economist

 

[Diche]

Also, given that Herbert Gilbert's US patent pre-dates Hon Lik's, it'll be interesting to see how this pans out legally for Imperial Tobacco.

I am interested to learn more about this ^^ and it's implications, could you point me in the right direction please

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Not really related but Hangsen have opened a plant in Poland for Europe distribution

 

[Mawsley]

I am interested to learn more about this ^^ and it's implications, could you point me in the right direction please

Patent US3200819 - Smokeless non-tobacco cigarette - Google Patents

 

[Diche]

Patent US3200819 - Smokeless non-tobacco cigarette - Google Patents

Hmm, thought so, just brushed up on my (amateur) patent law understanding. The earlier patent (Herbert Gilbert) has expired. The patent in the possession of Imperial Tobacco is extant, I am not sure if the expiry date is 2027 or a bit earlier, it depends on which type of patent it is.

 

[Danny K]

It still won't stop China copying them though ask BMW

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Planet of the Vapes mobile app

 

[Mawsley]

Hmm, thought so, just brushed up on my (amateur) patent law understanding. The earlier patent (Herbert Gilbert) has expired. The patent in the possession of Imperial Tobacco is extant, I am not sure if the expiry date is 2027 or a bit earlier, it depends on which type of patent it is.

Nice.

Thank you, seriously. I'm no legal person and extant is the first word I've had to look up for ages, never seen it used outside of biology before. Double bonus

Do you happen to know the legal status of a patent taken out while Gilbert's was still extant? I'm going to bugging the shit out of my wife with this word now: "Your cooking is non-extant, it has ceased to be, it has gone to meet its maker"...etc.

 

[Mawsley]

It still won't stop China copying them though ask BMW

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Planet of the Vapes mobile app

But there's the rub, if the US takes production in-house and the products are built to a spec to match the legislation put in place, they can effectively operate a closed shop and ban imports of cigalikes due to non-compliance.

 

[Diche]

Nice.

Thank you, seriously. I'm no legal person and extant is the first word I've had to look up for ages, never seen it used outside of biology before. Double bonus

Do you happen to know the legal status of a patent taken out while Gilbert's was still extant? I'm going to bugging the shit out of my wife with this word now: "Your cooking is non-extant, it has ceased to be, it has gone to meet its maker"...etc.

I like nice words you'll notice that about me lol

Under U.S. patent law a patent lasts either 14 or 20 years, dependant on type (not sure if this is from date of registration or date of approval) So any patent fitting the circumstance your describing would need to have come out in that sort of time frame. Patents can be quite specific. For instance the only patent granted for the game of Scrabble was for the shape of the scoring squares with the little triangular bits on the edges so that you don't have to lift a tile to see where the triple letter score is. (An obscure bit of knowledge I know lol, but my first study of patents, trademarks and copyright was in regards to Scrabble) This means you can have a few patents on a single piece of equipment, then you get the complications caused by patents granted in different countries, which is such a minefield that you need a degree in patent law to even begin to understand the implications so I kind of gave up at that point.

Chinese clones are probably also infringing trademark law every time they copy an engraving I would imagine, and a trademark doesn't expire as long as it is in use.