Who says most don't? The problem is most counterfeits are made in PRC, which doesn't recognize intellectual property rights...
Patent Protection in China
Introduction
Every company owning patents and
doing business with China is strongly
advised to use the Chinese patent
system. It is absolutely crucial to apply
for patent protection in China for each
and every innovation, even if the launch
of the respective product on the Chinese
market is not yet on the horizon. It should
also be noted that a European registered
patent has no legal effect in China.
IP protection measures should not be
limited to filing patent applications. It
is advisable to implement an overall
IP strategy covering legal, technical,
administrative, and political aspects.
Protect your innovations: In order to
obtain patent protection in China, the
inventor or the owner of the invention
has to file a Chinese patent application.
The Chinese State Intellectual Property
Office (SIPO) is the government authority
that receives and examines patent
applications.
An invention will not be granted a patent
if it is not new, i.e., known to the public
before the date the patent application
is filed. Therefore, before you start to
market, sell or otherwise make the
invention known to the public anywhere
in the world, a patent application must
first be filed
LOL... Me and the wife spent ~$550 a month on smoking.... Still doesnt mean I think that 'original' is a good deal. As I said many times, its 'perceived value'. And, before you go on about how I 'perceived' cigs to be a good value because I spent so much on them, know that I didnt know about vaping then and as soon as I did, I switched. Mostly because of the value.
I was around a 5 pack a week smoker.... Paid around 6.50 per pack. 5 * 6.50 = 32.50 a week. 52 weeks in a year 32.50*52 = 1,690... Yes people smoke mroe than I did. a 2 pack a day smoker. 14 packs per week * 6.50 91 bucks a week. 91*52 = 4,732 dollars a year. I could buy a 3,000 dollar Otto Carver and still save 1,732 compared to smoking if I was a 2 day a pack smoker. So using your example everyone that smoked 2 packs a day should be sporting an Otto Carver, right?
That analogy drives me bat crazy. You can justify anything in life that way. Just say I wanted to buy so I did. No one has to justify anything with me. I don;'t give a crap if you make 5 dollars a week and go buy a 3,000 dollar device. You are an adult and are responsible for your own actions. I buy what I want. I am not weak and do not have to justify my purchases.
And. as I said in a previous post, this is not a moral failing, but rather an ideological difference between Chinese culture and ours.

I'd like to see you define your version of value.
Maurice
The Chinese are well aware that our ideals are different, they simply fail to respect ours, and interestingly enough capitalize on the difference. Communist capitalization
Maurice
Who cares. Buy what you want and don't judge other people. Life's too short to care about this kind of crap.

Ask yourself, why would a drug company invest $2 billion to develop a new malady-curing medicine (not uncommon) if there are cloners who will copy it in a matter of a few months and undercut the market (since they didn't have to pay for development costs). What do you suppose would happen to innovation?
Um.. where'd you come up with that 'quote' of mine..? Hint: it wasnt mine and the linkback doesnt take you to the actual post...
But those $2billion spending companies know how to protect their rights... After spending $2billion, another few million is chump change.. And they start the process waaaaayyyy before its actually even tested.
Yeah, we do have product lines for government contractors- like armored diesel fuel line, but for the most part, we are thriving because the applications our products are used for can not be made to the same standards in China and our customers know that...
Your stuck on the metal tubes aren't innovation thing aren't you?
Metal tubes have been a part of innovation for longer than most of us have been alive and will continue to be a part of innovative design till we are long gone.
Lets take for example the often talked about voltage drop between mods, they all pretty much have differing values when tested against one another under similar circumstances. This is a function of the design of the switch, the machining quality, the metal composition, and any number of other factors. Predominantly the design is responsible for better or worse voltage drop values.
You may consider this less than innovative, while I'm not sure how a design that produces better (lower) voltage drop can not be innovative I'll carry on.
The roller switch is said to have a very smooth action, that's great for people who lack dexterity to make fickle switches work with any sort of smoothness. The switch is to my understanding highly effective in this aspect of its functionality, innovative if you will.
Similarly innovative is the use of laminated metals, both for artistic reasons and for conductivity. While the use of laminated metals is not entirely new it is innovative in this field of design.
Some mods have incorporated bold shapes to the tube section, some shapes help with the ergonomics some hinder the users ability to manage the mod. These design considerations can be said to be innovative as well when they increase the ease of use of a mod.
A pattern of cutouts on the tube may act to aid in the users ability to maintain grip on the mod, Provari is notable in this regard. Cutout designs will differ as will their comfort and functionality, leading to innovative designs. Some will incorporate logos to enhance the beauty of the device.
There exists many types of threading methods, any of which can effect several factors of performance and functionality of the device. Fine threading may increase contact area between parts, coarse threading may be more resilient to impact and less easy to cross threading and double helix threading may well increase assemble and disassemble speed and should decrease the torque required to loosen an assembly. Innovative in this field, I'd say there is plenty of room to improve so yes.
The design of a mod always calls for certain metals so as to perform as designed, one may utilize metal qualities to increase damage resistance or lighten the load of a person interested in carrying the least amount of weight on a long hike, all innovative uses of metal in this application.
Innovative use of coatings and plating have resulted in durability and functionality improvements, ZEN has the durability coating and many have used silver plating in their designs to improve conductivity, there is always room for improvements, so innovation will continue.
You see, innovation comes sometimes in very small steps, other times it comes in huge leaps and bounds. Innovation is linked to a particular function, innovation can be the use of a new material to accomplish a task in a way it was not accomplished in the past, or simply the treatment an older material receives that alters its performance, at times it could be simply a shape that impacts functionality.
Creativity, innovation, and resourcefulness, are all intertwined; any novel use of materials that serves a function can be considered innovative. Look at all of the interesting coil designs, some adapted from tube coils in other industries, others fully unique to the ecig world.
If all you see is a tube, a switch, and an end cap, you aren't seeing the many innovations this market is developing as it matures.
Maurice

Very true. But my point still remains.