KANTHAL™ Trademark & Patent under Enforcement for 2016 - TEMCo Industrial Continues as Authorized Source
In 2015, VAPOWIRE™ issued a news release making reference to the flood of counterfeit and untraceable composition wire and other products pouring out of China. The risks from use of these materials are numerous, with unknown metallurgical compositions topping the list. To be sure, laboratory analysis is the only way to know what you have in this black market.
KANTHAL™ has been one of the hardest hit in this wave of bootleg sales. SANDVIK™ (owners of KANTHAL™) and their legal counsel have begun enforcement of their material technology IP. Up to this point, thousands of legal notices have been issued to both foreign and US based retailers, demanding the termination of counterfeit material sales offerings. This effort is applied to their trademarked name and patented metal composition.
Fact Clarification
Trademarked Name: The name KANTHAL™ is trademark protected under US Federal Trademark Law, registered with the US Patent Office, and is owned by SANDVIK™ Materials Technology. TEMCo Industrial has a long standing relationship with SANDVIK™, providing certified KANTHAL™ resistance wire and is authorized to use the name.
Patented Alloy: In addition to the trade mark, the metallurgical composition of KANTHAL™ is patent protected under US Federal Patent Law, registered with the US Patent Office, and is owned by SANDVIK™ Materials Technology. TEMCo Industrial is authorized to use the alloy.
There are no legally available alternate materials under a different name that use the same composition. If it's not KANTHAL™, It's either an illegal copy or something entirely different.