I was hijacking another thread with this topic, so I thought I'd start one of its own. This is really just an FYI of the information that piqued my curiosity.
I'm late to the party, as usual, since this situation has been going on for a few years, but it just came to my attention with today's news reports.
James Cameron Sued for $1 Billion Over Alleged E-Cigarette Swindle
After researching a bit more, it appears John Carmeron is the defendant allegedly most culpable and his brother James (the director) is only peripherally involved due to his connection with the James Cameron Family Trust. My take on it is that SafeCig named James, personally, as a defendant for publicity and his deep pockets.
A letter written by one of the owners of SafeCig outlines the allegations (scroll down for the letter):
Avatar Director James Cameron & His Brother John Cameron Destroy Small Family Business -Safe Cig
Be aware, the letter is long and very detailed, but I think it's worth at least a skim. What caught my attention was the amounts of money he listed. SafeCig is a mall-based cig-a-like company and while we, on various forums, were debating the latest mods they were raking in $500,000 per month. I think this underscores that the majority of e-cigarette users, even now, don't give a flying fruit bat about most things we are obsessed with.
Part of the lawsuit alleges the Camerons conspired to run SafeCig into the ground, while "they" created a competitor. The parent company is named as Human Health Organization, but the business name isn't. However, it doesn't take much poking around to find that HHO is doing business as Vaporcade.
For me, this is where things get weird. Do you remember Herbert A. Gilbert? He's the guy who got a patent in 1963 for a "Smokeless Non-tobacco Cigarette" that is conceptually close to what we use today. Gilbert never got much further than the patent.[1]
(FYI: Gilbert actually wasn't the first person to patent an electric vaporizer, but apparently he was the first one to specifically mention tobacco.)
Anyway, since I don't recall a peep out of Gilbert since the advent of vaping, I thought he was dead. I was wrong.
Enter Vaporcade. They apparently tracked him down and (it seems to me) may have played on his vanity.
(From a 2013 interview with Gilbert, "As John Cameron pointed out to me, timing can be everything and I was ahead of my time, and in the midst of what some might say was the most powerful advertising period of big tobacco."[2]
Gilbert has since lent his name to Vaporcade[3]:
"HERBERT A. GILBERT
As the inventor and patent holder of the very first Electronic Cigarette in 1963, H.A. serves on the Patent and Development team for the Human Health Organization."
After Vaporcade got Gilbert onboard they produced a product called "1963®" (I'm unclear on how one can trademark a year, but whatever.) "Evoking the spirit of the year the first electronic cigarette was invented. The 1963® utilizes the creative development of tech and style in the vaping industry to create a smooth, elegant smoke. Engineered in the United States we’ve employed the most advanced technology for a consistent puff every time."
"[Gilbert]...is proud to be a part of H2O and the launch of the 1963® brand, an homage to his invention."
Mmmmm-kay. So far Vaporcade doesn't appear to have put a lot into marketing, I imagine they are busy with lawsuits. However, once that problem is over I can see them really pushing the Made-in-America angle, which I doubt it will actually be.
[1] Patent US3200819 - Smokeless non-tobacco cigarette - Google Patents
[2] An Interview with The Inventor of the Electronic Cigarette
[3] 1963 Electronic Cigarette - Vaporcade
I'm late to the party, as usual, since this situation has been going on for a few years, but it just came to my attention with today's news reports.
James Cameron Sued for $1 Billion Over Alleged E-Cigarette Swindle
After researching a bit more, it appears John Carmeron is the defendant allegedly most culpable and his brother James (the director) is only peripherally involved due to his connection with the James Cameron Family Trust. My take on it is that SafeCig named James, personally, as a defendant for publicity and his deep pockets.
A letter written by one of the owners of SafeCig outlines the allegations (scroll down for the letter):
Avatar Director James Cameron & His Brother John Cameron Destroy Small Family Business -Safe Cig
Be aware, the letter is long and very detailed, but I think it's worth at least a skim. What caught my attention was the amounts of money he listed. SafeCig is a mall-based cig-a-like company and while we, on various forums, were debating the latest mods they were raking in $500,000 per month. I think this underscores that the majority of e-cigarette users, even now, don't give a flying fruit bat about most things we are obsessed with.
Part of the lawsuit alleges the Camerons conspired to run SafeCig into the ground, while "they" created a competitor. The parent company is named as Human Health Organization, but the business name isn't. However, it doesn't take much poking around to find that HHO is doing business as Vaporcade.
For me, this is where things get weird. Do you remember Herbert A. Gilbert? He's the guy who got a patent in 1963 for a "Smokeless Non-tobacco Cigarette" that is conceptually close to what we use today. Gilbert never got much further than the patent.[1]
(FYI: Gilbert actually wasn't the first person to patent an electric vaporizer, but apparently he was the first one to specifically mention tobacco.)
Anyway, since I don't recall a peep out of Gilbert since the advent of vaping, I thought he was dead. I was wrong.
Enter Vaporcade. They apparently tracked him down and (it seems to me) may have played on his vanity.
(From a 2013 interview with Gilbert, "As John Cameron pointed out to me, timing can be everything and I was ahead of my time, and in the midst of what some might say was the most powerful advertising period of big tobacco."[2]
Gilbert has since lent his name to Vaporcade[3]:
"HERBERT A. GILBERT
As the inventor and patent holder of the very first Electronic Cigarette in 1963, H.A. serves on the Patent and Development team for the Human Health Organization."
After Vaporcade got Gilbert onboard they produced a product called "1963®" (I'm unclear on how one can trademark a year, but whatever.) "Evoking the spirit of the year the first electronic cigarette was invented. The 1963® utilizes the creative development of tech and style in the vaping industry to create a smooth, elegant smoke. Engineered in the United States we’ve employed the most advanced technology for a consistent puff every time."
"[Gilbert]...is proud to be a part of H2O and the launch of the 1963® brand, an homage to his invention."
Mmmmm-kay. So far Vaporcade doesn't appear to have put a lot into marketing, I imagine they are busy with lawsuits. However, once that problem is over I can see them really pushing the Made-in-America angle, which I doubt it will actually be.
#.justsaying
Rawr
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Rawr
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[1] Patent US3200819 - Smokeless non-tobacco cigarette - Google Patents
[2] An Interview with The Inventor of the Electronic Cigarette
[3] 1963 Electronic Cigarette - Vaporcade
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