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 Research by Thomson Reuters shows that China - with over 300 million
smokers - is the front runner in the manufacture and development of
so-called e-cigarette technology, while new versions being patented
include a "pay as you go" computer-assisted device and others that
can deliver caffeine instead.
In 2005 just eight e-cigarette inventions were described in
published patents. By 2012 the figure had jumped to 220 and by last
year there were over 500 inventions, according to an analysis by the
IP & Science business of Thomson Reuters. So far this year the total
has reached 650. (A single invention may be covered by several
patents.)
The original technology, involving battery-powered heating systems
that vaporize nicotine-laced liquid, is credited to Hon Lik, a
Chinese medical researcher with a 20-a-day habit, in 2003.
His invention has since become so popular that the market is now
estimated to be worth $3.5 billion. Both big tobacco firms and small
entrepreneurs are falling over themselves to find new ways to "vape"
- a verb suddenly so mainstream the Oxford English Dictionary named
it 2014's Word of the Year.
Imperial Tobacco last year snapped up the patents owned by the
company Hon co-founded in a deal worth $75 million, and is suing
rivals for a range of alleged patent infringements.
Part of the rush to create new devices can be explained by the
prospect of stiffer regulation on existing ones after the World
Health Organization said it wanted to see this, along with bans on
indoor use, advertising and sales to minors.
While proponents see e-cigarettes as important tools for harm
reduction, critics fear the devices may instead fuel a new wave of
nicotine addiction and cite a lack of long-term scientific evidence
to support their safety.
PAY AS YOU GO
Of more than 2,000 e-cigarette inventions tracked by Thomson
Reuters, 64 percent originate in China, where over half of men
smoke. In second place is the United States, with 14 percent,
followed by South Korea with 9 percent.
Some patented suggestions target smokers looking to regulate their
nicotine intake and their spending. While offerings already on the
market include thousands of e-liquid flavors from menthol to
marshmallow, and even a smartphone app to show how much you are
using, new patents go a step further.
Tobacco giant Philip Morris International describes an e-cigarette
that would allow users to "pay as you go" by buying a certain number
of doses via computer application connected to their e-cigarette.
Customers could also program the device to shut off after a certain
number of puffs per use to help limit intake.
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Other smaller players aim to deliver doses of caffeine and other
additives instead of nicotine.
A unit of mCig Inc sells VitaCigs containing vitamins and
supplements such as valerian and collagen, while a company called
Energy Shisha sells a caffeinated vaping stick. Patents filed by
others, including Fuma International, mention tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC), the active chemical in cannabis.
In general, e-cigarette patents relate to systems for heating and
vaporizing liquids, as well as for charging the electronic systems,
whether in a "cigalike" device or a larger "tank" system, which
doesn't resemble a cigarette but gives a better "vaping" experience.
China's domination of the market reflects not only its huge number
of smokers but also a wider drive by the Chinese government to forge
a knowledge economy. By maximizing patents it hopes to replace the
ubiquitous "Made in China" label by "Designed in China."
Since 2011, China has been the world's top patent filer for all
inventions, according to the World Intellectual Property Office. Its
scientists and companies now lay claim to intellectual property
rights on everything from telecoms to medicine.
"Patenting globally is rising significantly year on year, driven by
Chinese patenting generally," said Bob Stembridge, senior patent
analyst at Thomson Reuters IP & Science.
"But I would say the e-cigarette field is growing faster than the
general trend, and the bias toward China is greater than in global
patenting."
(Editing by Sophie Walker)
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