when was the first e-cigarette sold in the us
Electronic cigarette Hon Lik registered a patent for the modern e-cigarette design in 2003.[183] The e-cigarette was first introduced to the Chinese domestic market in 2004.[30] Many versions made their way to the U.S., sold mostly over the Internet by small marketing firms.[30] E-cigarettes entered the European market and the US market in 2006 and 2007.[53] The company that Lik worked for, Golden Dragon Holdings, registered an international patent in November 2007.[184] The company changed its name to Ruyan (如烟, literally "Resembling smoking") later the same month[185] and started exporting its products.[30] Many US and Chinese e-cig makers copied his designs illegally, so Lik has not received much financial reward for his invention (although some US manufacturers have compensated him through out of court settlements).[186] Ruyan later changed its company name to Dragonite International Limited.[185] Most e-cigarettes today use a battery-powered heating element rather than the earlier ultrasonic technology design.[139]