The Ruyan Patent Situation.

[syntaxevasion]

Appears that Ruyan has brought suits against njoy for patent infringement, and against Revelle (The MLM e-cig company)

http://dockets.justia.com/docket/court- ... _id-96950/
http://dockets.justia.com/docket/court- ... _id-95288/

Ruyan filed for US patent under prior foreign patent protection
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Par ... hon+lik%22

US Patent Application Number:
20070267031
Filed by Hon, Lik (of Ruyan)

Foreign Patent Application:
Date Code Application Number
Apr 14, 2004 CN 20040031182.0

I take a bit of interest in this because I want to sell electronic cigarettes in the United States. I am curious how other companies (including one manufacturer in China I've been in contact with) can claim that they also hold patents on their design in China.

Seems one notable brand, Crown7, hasn't been touched.

Anybody got any input on this, aka how to avoid ending up like njoy or Revelle?

Thanks

 

[leaford]

Interesting; I've been wondering about the patent situation.

 

[Oliver]

Ah, I thought this might happen eventually. Oh well, I guess if they do have the patent............

 

[TropicalBob]

You surely did wonder here why Ruyan didn't crack down. What I've been able to discover about this is that Ruyan owns almost all the patents for electronic smoking. It licenses use of its patents to others, who are then free to manufacture and brand products of their own. That's why we have so many cigs, cigars and pipes that are interchangeable, dead ringers for each other. They indeed follow the same blueprint. In the case of Ruyan vs. Revelle, apparently Revelle bought a license and then set up a kind of pyramid scheme reselling the license. Kind of like our submortgage disaster in the States. Ruyan was not happy. Thus the suit. I can't find any specifics yet on the case against njoy. Njoy has said on its Web site that it intends to manufacture its own products at some point, but I've read that they are now made in China and branded as Njoys. Look forward to seeing what specifically Njoy is charged with doing. Did see that Ruyan is seeking only $75,000. PAY IT, Njoy! Get on with business.

 

[syntaxevasion]

Yeah, no kidding! Pay that 75k and get crackin'...After that, they'd be free from further litigation from Ruyan, I believe.

 

[Oliver]

Although the idea of $75,000 being only $75,000 makes me slightly choke, I agree. Pay it and crack on!

 

[windblown]

$75,000 being only $75,000 makes me slightly choke

Don't forget, Smokey Joe.....that's only about 38,000 in your world! :mrgreen:

 

[shawnp1]

seems to me it would be easier to just pay them an get it out of the way an continue on

 

[jarvis]

A little off topic, but I found this feature in the patent information interesting: A spring piece 33 for pressing the liquid-supplying bottle 11 on the atomizer 9 is provided on one end of the liquid-supplying bottle 11. I wonder why this design aspect changed.

 

[Oliver]

A little off topic, but I found this feature in the patent information interesting: A spring piece 33 for pressing the liquid-supplying bottle 11 on the atomizer 9 is provided on one end of the liquid-supplying bottle 11. I wonder why this design aspect changed.

Probably because they've been reading this forum