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Protect Your Good Ideas

By Sonja Carberry

You've come up with a great product and put it on the market. Almost immediately people are imitating or even stealing your idea. What to do? Details on protecting what's yours:

• Assemble a team. Billed as a "backyard in a box," the Pet Loo invented by Tobi Skovron and his wife, Simone, lets dogs do their business indoors on a hygienic, synthetic-grass-covered box. Before dropping the Pet Loo on the marketplace in 2003, the couple surrounded themselves with an arsenal of experts who'd "been there, done that," Tobi Skovron told IBD.

The board of directors they gathered included licensing and patent attorneys as well as accountants and industrial engineers.

"Go and seek legal advice right off the bat," Skovron said. "You really need to seek out people with the right areas of expertise."

• Cover every angle. Skovron's company, Pup-Pee Solutions, has since added new products to its lineup and expanded its market to 73 regions around the world. Skovron patents and trademarks each product as it's developed. "We have invested heavily in our intellectual property," he said.

• Fight the good fight. Skovron has legal proceedings under way against a couple of imitators.

"I will use every dollar I have and more to chase down someone who decides to rip me off," Skovron said. "It's not just me. I've got 60 other people (employees) to think of."

• Pick a weapon. Patent or trademark? Is one better than the other? It depends on your objective, says Oliver Herzfeld, chief legal officer at Beanstalk Group, a brand licensing firm. "Patents protect the inventor," he said. "A trademark is basically protecting the (product) name."

In other words, patents prevent competitors from re-creating your product for 20 years. A trademark prevents them from using your product's name for as long as you're in business. "If you fail to use your trademark in commerce for a certain period of time, you lose your rights," Herzfeld said.

• Keep your secrets. Bug Bam's inventor and president, Joseph Symond, chose to trademark everything about his all-natural mosquito-repellent wristband rather than patent it.

With the latter, "you have to put down every single part of the process," he said. "It becomes like an instruction book on how to create my product." He plans to keep that secret for the long run.

• Watch for squatters. People don't just steal business ideas. They can ride on another firm's coattails. That's what happened to Symond.

"A competitor hacked into my Web site and put their TV commercial on my Web site," Symond said. "I'm filing my first lawsuit ever in my life."

• Beat your drum. Besides legal wrangling, Symond devotes energy to teaching consumers why his repellent is safe and effective. "All the advertising I do is focused on educating the customer," he said.

While his blog may have a limited audience, it has a long reach.

"That blog gets picked up (and re-posted) by multiple sources," Symond said. "I write it more like a public service announcement with real facts and figures."

The eco-friendly Pet Loo – no grass needed!

Author: Debra Atlas

Pet owners know what it’s like to be working late and suddenly remember the dog hasn’t been outside for 8 or more hours. If you can’t leave work yet, you face the prospect of coming home to a real doggie “mess”!

A product developed in Australia – The Pet Loo – is the answer busy pet owners have been looking for. Called the “Backyard in a Box”, The Pet Loo is high quality synthetic grass that’s resistant to the smell and acidity of pet urine. Launched in 2006 by Tobi Skovron, founder of Pup-Pee Solutions, USA, LLC, and his wife Simone, this indoor dog potty – perfect for urban apartment dwellers - lets dogs relieve themselves when owners aren’t around. And they leave no smelly mess to clean up later!

With the development of The Pet Loo, Skovron says the company followed three key guidelines:

• Be environmentally friendly 
• Be biodegradable 
• Be chemical free

Designed for dogs or cats, The Pet Loo’s base is slightly angled to work with gravity. It’s been reinforced to support an animal’s weight and is shaped to funnel the urine towards the collection jug. Pet waste can be easily removed and poured down the toilet with no spilling. Skovron says it’s been tested to hold up to 660 pounds of weight, making it good for overweight or large dogs and multiple pets.

Cleaning The Pet Loo’s a snap. Simply remove the base and clean, then remove the grass to let dry. Among Skovron’s company’s many pet products, they recommend cleaning The Pet Loo with their WEE Care.

When you remove its grass, wipe down the base down with WEE Care and warm water. Domestic cleaners will sanitize the Pet Loo but will discourage pets from going back to that spot, acting as a pet deterrent. “That defeats the purpose,” says Skovron.

Skovron believes his product helps break down barriers to pet ownership. “People shy away from pet ownership,” says Skovron, “based on (its) practicability – they can’t afford a back yard.” Having a Pet Loo makes it that much easier for people to be responsible pet owners.

This award-winning product comes in several sizes, including for larger dogs and one for cats, rabbits or guinea pigs. The most common size is 33” x 33. Try putting two or more mats together for your own private “doggie park”. “We’re all about the pets,” Skovron says.

For convenience, use The Pet Loo on balconies, patios or indoors. This product is durable if maintained. Bring it indoors when there’s bad weather or it rains. The company says it will last 10 to 20 years. Skovron says “(the black) Pet Loo will (probably) outlive a pet.”

He suggests keeping replacement grass around, but says replace it only if you feel it’s necessary. You might use it while cleaning and drying the original. The Pet Loo is available in pet stores in the U.S. and online at Amazon, SmartHome.com and www.thepetloo.com.

Prices range from $199.00 for smaller dogs to $239.00 for the larger size.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1019839_54.html

 As Featured on PetMD

The Pet Loo  Your Backyard in a Box

Your Backyard in a Box …

The Pet Loo is a great alternative to middle of the night "piddles" and other house breaking drama that can come with the arrival of a new fur baby!

Hygienic, convenient, simple, and environmentally-friendly, this new and innovative lawn toilet is made of synthetic grass, which offers a familiar surface for your pet(s). This synthetic material also ensures that your Pet Loo will be able to solve your dog's potty problems time and time again.

The Pet Loo's unique draining system places the urine in an easy-to-clean compartment, which is effective for dogs of all sizes — finally solving the toilet training headaches most pet owners deal with every day. It is easy to use and great for apartments, condos, balconies, patios, even RVs.

The Haute or Not? testers have not yet had the opportunity to use The Pet Loo, but we have seen and felt the synthetic grass, and are sure that most dogs, young or old, would be quite comfortable using it. So rest easy and enjoy having a pet in your life, while The Pet Loo takes care of the toilet problems for you.

Learn more @ www.thepetloo.com/us

Register your vote at: Petmd.com

By: Brendan Floyd 

When you gotta go….you gotta go – and your dog doesn’t know how much you paid for that Persian rug. If your pet is doing its outside business inside, Pup Pee Solutions has the answer with The Pet Loo.  This “backyard in a box” will forever eliminate those early morning bathroom runs, inclement weather walks, and the apprehension over leaving your pet alone for too long.

The Pet Loo features durable synthetic grass atop a platform and a hygienic urine drainage system designed for easy maintenance. No longer will your canine need to rely on you for its dirty deeds, which means peace of mind and a cleaner house.

Tobi Skovron and his wife Simone developed The Pet Loo after purchasing a dog in 2003. Living in an apartment, Tobi & Simone immediately became aware of the difficulties of having a pet and no yard, thus inspiring the creation of the prototype Pet Loo. After three years of developing and fine tuning, the invention hit the market in 2006.

In just three years the product has exploded, enjoying success in 73 countries and earning a devoted following from those who otherwise could not own a dog. “Pets and people’s lifestyles are often impractical. The Pet Loo is a solution rather than just a product,” Tobi remarks. “Our success is genuine and the retailers who have got on board have made a lot of money.” Tobi implores all retailers to “have a go and take a chance,” citing that too much stagnancy can be very detrimental in a slow market.

While several imitators have cropped up, none come close to Pup Pee Solutions. They aggressively preserve their patent protection and intellectual property, ensuring the consumer gets only the best quality product at a reasonable cost.

Whether you’re a busy traveling professional, or just own a dog that’s indiscriminate over its toilet location, there’s no better alternative.

For complete details visit:

USA: www.thepetloo.com/us

Canada: www.thepetloo.com/ca

Australia: www.thepetloo.com/au

UK: www.thepetloo.com/uk

New Zeland: www.thepetloo.com/nz

Taiwan: www.thepetloo.com/tw

Netherlands: www.thepetloo.com/nl

Germany: www.thepetloo.com/de

Brazil: www.thepetloo.com/br

Japan: www.thepetloo.com/jp

Hong Kong: www.thepetloo.com/hk

Singapore: www.thepetloo.com/sg

Italy: www.thepetloo.com/it

Other: www.thepetloo.com/global

For those happy Pet Owners that said goodbye to Kitty Litter forever and hello to the Kitty Kat Pet Loo, we have some exciting news!

The House of Loo is pleased to announce that Kitty Kat Replacement Grass is now available to buy from your local pet retailer or online.

There are many varying types of synthetic grass on the market. The Synthetic grass used for The Pet Loo is of optimum quality to reduce your hassles. After lengthy testing, we have ensured that the perforations on the base mat guarantee maximum drainage.

The grass only needs to be replaced if you feel it's necessary.

For cleaning purposes:

1. Pour warm water over the grass daily or alternatively lift it out and hose it down (in the shower if necessary)
2. Remove the grass to allow it to dry.
3. For times when The Pet Loo is not in use (eg: overnight) remove the grass from The Base to air it out.

Coming Soon: Kitty Care, a Feline version of WEE Care!!!!!

Quick Tip - It's always a great idea to have some replacement Pet Loo Grass on hand to help with the cleaning process. While one is being cleaned, aired out and dried… use the replacement.

Apartment living with a pet is now easier and more convenient with The Pet Loo, a hygienic new portable toilet for dogs and cats. The Pet Loo is a lightweight box that fits on a balcony or anywhere inside an apartment.

The Pet Loo was invented by Australian veterinary nurse and social worker Simone Skovron, to provide peace of mind to busy dog-loving professionals, for those in-between times when they find themselves unable to walk their dog. The Pet Loo’s patented design features:

The Pet Loo comes in two sizes, a Pet Loo MINI-Wee for smaller breeds and the original Pet Loo, designed for dogs of all sizes. For more information and list of retailers, visit www.thepetloo.com.

Animal Radio – America’s most listened to pet radio show. 

The Pet Loo - Backyard in a Box

The Pet Loo is just what it says.  It is a box that allows animals to relieve themselves.  Most people purchase these types of devices for potty training, or when they live in apartments or when they can’t always be there to take their dogs out. 

They also purchase them if they are elderly and can’t walk their dogs as much as they need to be walked.  It is also great for people who live in cold climates – who wants to take your dog out when it is minus -0- degrees!

While this is true, and the Pet Loo does work in all of these instances, I want to go a step further. I want to mention that this type of device is also great for the small dog on a permanent basis.

Even though I would think twice if you have a male dog.  As a male dog matures, his stream is going to be a little bit higher and go a little bit farther.  But there are things you can add for a male dog such as a Pee Post or even placing a backdrop behind and/or around the unit.

The perforations in the synthetic grass allow urine to pass through and flow down angled channels.  The urine is then collected underneath in a tray that can easily be removed for cleaning, so it is easy to clean no matter where you live.  Just flush it down the toilet.  And when you need to clean the grass, just pick it up and rinse with warm water in your bathtub and then spray down the unit with an appropriate cleanser.  

After a while, if you need to, you can even replace the grass.  And the poop?  Just pick it up as you would if you were outdoors.  The device is also very portable, so you can move it from room to room.  And if you have a large dog, you can put two of them side-by-side.

Even though it is very convenient, don’t give up those daily walks with your dog!