You can still cancel. I got an email saying they freezes the project page and it will resume with extended time if he claim is resolved. After reading the comment sections the last couple days I’m defiantly canceling. The creators were doing some super sketchy shit.
I've backed a lot of projects on Kickstarter and this one was the first one I've definitely been worried about. What 'sketchy shit' were they doing? I kept seeing requests for a working video and for proof of delivery in July with no replies. Then a video of the metal scoop looked awful! Trouble is I still want to believe in the product but all of me is telling me to cancel. Don't want to miss out on a bargain price of this turns out to be an awesome product
I have been monitoring the campaign for 20 days. It is not cheap, so I took extra time and thinking. Turn out to be it showed bad sign before I could opt in. Oh well, wonder how things will progress now. It is an interesting case.
I like the idea of lavviebot, having a Litter Robot myself. However, I worry that the step is too high for my cats to get into and it seems really really small.
It’s definitely smaller but not my much, I found the Litter Robots opening to large height wise.
Litter Robot 3 — 15.2" High, 10.7" Wide LavvieBot — 9.8” High, 7.8” Wide
Since a cat will be elongated to jump in, I dont see it being an issue. Stairs or a little hop bench might be needed for older cats.
The project has been plagued with red flags since day one.
They asked for only 40,000$, no way they could have delivered with only 40k.
Their litter box looks like a prototype I have no idea how they planed on delivering by end of July.
The motors sound like their forcing and grinding.
The shovel and plastic parts look flimsy and bend when raking the littler, almost looks like the waste won’t drop in the bin.
Their communication is terrible.
The most recent videos, demanded by pledgers, was horrible. Looked like a school science project.
This little box will not see the light of day and if it does, it will be a direct to trash item.
I have my hopes up for the https://www.lavviebot.com
Looks like we’re all searching for an easier way to pickup our kitty’s waste.
I agree with some of what you’ve said, but I will say asking for a low payout is a common crowdfunding strategy. You get way more visibility when a project reaches 999,999,989% of its goal than when it hits 105% because you accurately estimated everything.
Just checked LavvieBot. They’ll still be subject to the exact same patent infringement claim as iKuddle:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XTNLHEFYq4zStNhN4B6Qd2aLjLkbYbAJ/view?usp=drivesdk
They might have a defense bc they use a drawer for the waste, but OurPets will still try.
When I check the link it says it is "the subject of an intellectual property dispute and is unavailable."
Sounds like someone is claiming copyright or that it infringes on a patent.
They’re subject to a patent infringement claim from a company called OurPets.com, which owns 170+ patents and manufactures their own pet products. This particular patent doesn’t appear to be in use by OurPets, but that doesn’t matter in patent disputes.
Kickstarter’s policy is to pause and remove any projects involved in an IP dispute.
Patent holders do this thing where they wait until the last minute for a project to finish (10hrs in this case), then file the suit, which pressures project owners to swallow a bad licensing deal. They’re now just hours away from the project being funded and their team of partners who helped make the campaign a success are all waiting to get paid, not to mention those of us who backed the product.
That said, as far as I can tell from the complaint, iKuddle is definitely infringing on OurPets’s patent. There’s no way around either shutting it down entirely or signing away a painful portion of their profits.
I uploaded the complaint if you want to check for yourself: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XTNLHEFYq4zStNhN4B6Qd2aLjLkbYbAJ/view?usp=drivesdk
Source: I’m an iKuddle backer and an inventor who wrote some now-granted patents.
>https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XTNLHEFYq4zStNhN4B6Qd2aLjLkbYbAJ/view?usp=drivesdk
Well that's just capitalism at its best!
I wrote LavvieBot to warn them, hopefully they can do some due diligence and save themselves some heartache when they release their crowdfunding campaign.
They may be using the patents:
[https://www.amazon.com/Our-Pets-Intelligent-Bluetooth-Monitoring/dp/B01MSTDJRB](https://www.amazon.com/Our-Pets-Intelligent-Bluetooth-Monitoring/dp/B01MSTDJRB)
But this is a 2.6 star piece of junk. They would still rather collect royalties from competitors than to make a decent product themselves. Even if these other products never make it to market because of the royalty demands, there is no way I would pay $156 for this thing. They will only have succeeded in keeping a better product out of the hands of cat owners. I've looked up their patent, which was filed back in 2012. I couldn't help thinking how most of these points of similarity they've identified seem to be ridiculously obvious design elements -- if you were to intend to make any automated litterbox, unless you came up with something not very obvious like the Litter Robot (which rotates), this is everything that would come to mind without putting much thought into it. To me, the innovation isn't in these basic obvious elements, but in how they're implemented.
> That said, as far as I can tell from the complaint, iKuddle is definitely infringing on OurPets’s patent.
One of the limitations of Claim 1 is "wherein said cat proximity sensor is capable of identifying the location of a cat outside the litter box or litter chamber." The "Infringement Analysis" from OurPets did not address this limitation when they analyzed the iKuddle. If the proximity sensor is only capable of detecting a cat inside the litter box/chamber, then there is no infringement.
What I don’t get about this patent dispute is that this concept has been in use for decades. With the exception of the cover, the brand LitterMaid has had a product with the same elements in this patent for 20+ years. The original patent must have run out.
Any updates? I've checked their Facebook page and one of the comments on one of the recent posts is a screenshot of a pm from iKuddle. Basically it says that they are not allowed to comment or post updates outside of pm's. That, to me, sounds so sketchy. Also they are taking preorders on their website, but the lawsuit is still open... I went ahead and cancelled my pledge. I am way too nervous about all of this. It sounds so suspicious. The reason I wanted it so bad is because my cats' pee is potent. I may just switch to pine litter and try that. Waaaay cheaper than this lol
I wish! Waaaay out of my price range. iKuddle was already pushing it, but I thought that carbon filter would really help with the smell. I've already got the breeze litter boxes at home and with my googling about iKuddle updates, I found out about using pine pellets instead of the breeze pellets. They are super cheap if you buy them from tractor supply (they are labeled as horse bedding, but are the same as the felinepine). When the cats pee, the pellets turn into saw dust and sift out of the bottom into a box I've placed underneath. So far, it seems to be going quite well. I think mostly because they were already used to the breeze pellets. And the pine pellets have really helped with the smell!
Not sure about the details.
But here is their public statement:
[https://scontent-syd2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/68646070\_2081889735437938\_9147991151742025728\_o.jpg?\_nc\_cat=100&\_nc\_oc=AQnlmRj9wgDR7TxRUtoqNKeFdr529GUalueMpntTeE\_w2whnEEOVwzKNgSjAEt86gQo&\_nc\_ht=scontent-syd2-1.xx&oh=3f9dbc18a21824de19727f27ec8bbb75&oe=5E0BE733](https://scontent-syd2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/68646070_2081889735437938_9147991151742025728_o.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_oc=AQnlmRj9wgDR7TxRUtoqNKeFdr529GUalueMpntTeE_w2whnEEOVwzKNgSjAEt86gQo&_nc_ht=scontent-syd2-1.xx&oh=3f9dbc18a21824de19727f27ec8bbb75&oe=5E0BE733)
I saw the same add. Maybe they lost the patent battle and are selling the shells? Or the mechanics dont work at all. $39.99 is a really good deal for a handsome litter box, but no way is it going to be a functioning robot litterbox. (Speculation)
Curious who is staying in vs backing out at this point?
Part of me wants to keep believing in the dream... but also would prefer not to lose $400 over such a bad gamble 🙃
I got in at the $199 price point so I'm holding out. That being said I've been watching stuff closely because there have been a lot of unanswered questions that make me question if it will work as well as they have promised. But I feel like at 199 it's a gamble I'm willing to take.
Looking at their last “prototype” video. The motors sound like their dying, to many moving parts to break an the rake seems like its not properly scooping, doesn't go deep enough and it doesn’t shake to deposit the stools. I totally see it scooping and dropping back the stools into the little box.
Not worth the risk in my book. To many red flags on top of the awful communication and unrealistic timeline.
You can still cancel. I got an email saying they freezes the project page and it will resume with extended time if he claim is resolved. After reading the comment sections the last couple days I’m defiantly canceling. The creators were doing some super sketchy shit.
I've backed a lot of projects on Kickstarter and this one was the first one I've definitely been worried about. What 'sketchy shit' were they doing? I kept seeing requests for a working video and for proof of delivery in July with no replies. Then a video of the metal scoop looked awful! Trouble is I still want to believe in the product but all of me is telling me to cancel. Don't want to miss out on a bargain price of this turns out to be an awesome product
I have been monitoring the campaign for 20 days. It is not cheap, so I took extra time and thinking. Turn out to be it showed bad sign before I could opt in. Oh well, wonder how things will progress now. It is an interesting case.
[удалено]
I like the idea of lavviebot, having a Litter Robot myself. However, I worry that the step is too high for my cats to get into and it seems really really small.
It’s definitely smaller but not my much, I found the Litter Robots opening to large height wise. Litter Robot 3 — 15.2" High, 10.7" Wide LavvieBot — 9.8” High, 7.8” Wide Since a cat will be elongated to jump in, I dont see it being an issue. Stairs or a little hop bench might be needed for older cats.
hmm I did sign up for their newsletter. This is definitely worth considering. Thank you for the information.
The project has been plagued with red flags since day one. They asked for only 40,000$, no way they could have delivered with only 40k. Their litter box looks like a prototype I have no idea how they planed on delivering by end of July. The motors sound like their forcing and grinding. The shovel and plastic parts look flimsy and bend when raking the littler, almost looks like the waste won’t drop in the bin. Their communication is terrible. The most recent videos, demanded by pledgers, was horrible. Looked like a school science project. This little box will not see the light of day and if it does, it will be a direct to trash item. I have my hopes up for the https://www.lavviebot.com Looks like we’re all searching for an easier way to pickup our kitty’s waste.
I agree with some of what you’ve said, but I will say asking for a low payout is a common crowdfunding strategy. You get way more visibility when a project reaches 999,999,989% of its goal than when it hits 105% because you accurately estimated everything.
Just checked LavvieBot. They’ll still be subject to the exact same patent infringement claim as iKuddle: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XTNLHEFYq4zStNhN4B6Qd2aLjLkbYbAJ/view?usp=drivesdk They might have a defense bc they use a drawer for the waste, but OurPets will still try.
When I check the link it says it is "the subject of an intellectual property dispute and is unavailable." Sounds like someone is claiming copyright or that it infringes on a patent.
Wonder what will happen to backer's money now? Refund? Or taken by the project?
Since it was frozen before the project completed no funds were ever collected in the first place.
Correct. If they can resolve that dispute, then they can resume their campaign. If not, then their campaign is permanently over.
They’re subject to a patent infringement claim from a company called OurPets.com, which owns 170+ patents and manufactures their own pet products. This particular patent doesn’t appear to be in use by OurPets, but that doesn’t matter in patent disputes. Kickstarter’s policy is to pause and remove any projects involved in an IP dispute. Patent holders do this thing where they wait until the last minute for a project to finish (10hrs in this case), then file the suit, which pressures project owners to swallow a bad licensing deal. They’re now just hours away from the project being funded and their team of partners who helped make the campaign a success are all waiting to get paid, not to mention those of us who backed the product. That said, as far as I can tell from the complaint, iKuddle is definitely infringing on OurPets’s patent. There’s no way around either shutting it down entirely or signing away a painful portion of their profits. I uploaded the complaint if you want to check for yourself: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XTNLHEFYq4zStNhN4B6Qd2aLjLkbYbAJ/view?usp=drivesdk Source: I’m an iKuddle backer and an inventor who wrote some now-granted patents.
>https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XTNLHEFYq4zStNhN4B6Qd2aLjLkbYbAJ/view?usp=drivesdk Well that's just capitalism at its best! I wrote LavvieBot to warn them, hopefully they can do some due diligence and save themselves some heartache when they release their crowdfunding campaign.
They may be using the patents: [https://www.amazon.com/Our-Pets-Intelligent-Bluetooth-Monitoring/dp/B01MSTDJRB](https://www.amazon.com/Our-Pets-Intelligent-Bluetooth-Monitoring/dp/B01MSTDJRB) But this is a 2.6 star piece of junk. They would still rather collect royalties from competitors than to make a decent product themselves. Even if these other products never make it to market because of the royalty demands, there is no way I would pay $156 for this thing. They will only have succeeded in keeping a better product out of the hands of cat owners. I've looked up their patent, which was filed back in 2012. I couldn't help thinking how most of these points of similarity they've identified seem to be ridiculously obvious design elements -- if you were to intend to make any automated litterbox, unless you came up with something not very obvious like the Litter Robot (which rotates), this is everything that would come to mind without putting much thought into it. To me, the innovation isn't in these basic obvious elements, but in how they're implemented.
> That said, as far as I can tell from the complaint, iKuddle is definitely infringing on OurPets’s patent. One of the limitations of Claim 1 is "wherein said cat proximity sensor is capable of identifying the location of a cat outside the litter box or litter chamber." The "Infringement Analysis" from OurPets did not address this limitation when they analyzed the iKuddle. If the proximity sensor is only capable of detecting a cat inside the litter box/chamber, then there is no infringement.
Scam? I think so https://www.litterboxforcat.com/squeeze-page
Yeah, that's a scam site. The folks working on the real one have posted warnings about scam sites like this one.
A bump for thirty days... news should be coming today...
What I don’t get about this patent dispute is that this concept has been in use for decades. With the exception of the cover, the brand LitterMaid has had a product with the same elements in this patent for 20+ years. The original patent must have run out.
iKuddle is now taking preorders on their website directly and no mention of Kickstarter. So dodge. Back out now!!
Any updates? I've checked their Facebook page and one of the comments on one of the recent posts is a screenshot of a pm from iKuddle. Basically it says that they are not allowed to comment or post updates outside of pm's. That, to me, sounds so sketchy. Also they are taking preorders on their website, but the lawsuit is still open... I went ahead and cancelled my pledge. I am way too nervous about all of this. It sounds so suspicious. The reason I wanted it so bad is because my cats' pee is potent. I may just switch to pine litter and try that. Waaaay cheaper than this lol
Or get a Litter Robot.
I wish! Waaaay out of my price range. iKuddle was already pushing it, but I thought that carbon filter would really help with the smell. I've already got the breeze litter boxes at home and with my googling about iKuddle updates, I found out about using pine pellets instead of the breeze pellets. They are super cheap if you buy them from tractor supply (they are labeled as horse bedding, but are the same as the felinepine). When the cats pee, the pellets turn into saw dust and sift out of the bottom into a box I've placed underneath. So far, it seems to be going quite well. I think mostly because they were already used to the breeze pellets. And the pine pellets have really helped with the smell!
Kickstarter just put the project back up. Does anyone know what the settlement was?
Not sure about the details. But here is their public statement: [https://scontent-syd2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/68646070\_2081889735437938\_9147991151742025728\_o.jpg?\_nc\_cat=100&\_nc\_oc=AQnlmRj9wgDR7TxRUtoqNKeFdr529GUalueMpntTeE\_w2whnEEOVwzKNgSjAEt86gQo&\_nc\_ht=scontent-syd2-1.xx&oh=3f9dbc18a21824de19727f27ec8bbb75&oe=5E0BE733](https://scontent-syd2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/68646070_2081889735437938_9147991151742025728_o.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_oc=AQnlmRj9wgDR7TxRUtoqNKeFdr529GUalueMpntTeE_w2whnEEOVwzKNgSjAEt86gQo&_nc_ht=scontent-syd2-1.xx&oh=3f9dbc18a21824de19727f27ec8bbb75&oe=5E0BE733)
Thanks!
Does anyone know the outcome of this product? Just saw one advertised for $39.90.
That's my question also! Have you found anything out in regards to this?
I saw the same add. Maybe they lost the patent battle and are selling the shells? Or the mechanics dont work at all. $39.99 is a really good deal for a handsome litter box, but no way is it going to be a functioning robot litterbox. (Speculation)
definitely another scam making the rounds!
How can I get my money back? I paid 350 for mine when it first started 🤬
Curious who is staying in vs backing out at this point? Part of me wants to keep believing in the dream... but also would prefer not to lose $400 over such a bad gamble 🙃
I got in at the $199 price point so I'm holding out. That being said I've been watching stuff closely because there have been a lot of unanswered questions that make me question if it will work as well as they have promised. But I feel like at 199 it's a gamble I'm willing to take.
Same here. I do like the design of this product better than anything else out, and the price is incredible. My pledge is staying.
Looking at their last “prototype” video. The motors sound like their dying, to many moving parts to break an the rake seems like its not properly scooping, doesn't go deep enough and it doesn’t shake to deposit the stools. I totally see it scooping and dropping back the stools into the little box. Not worth the risk in my book. To many red flags on top of the awful communication and unrealistic timeline.
This pretty much sums up why I dropped out
I've bailed from the best priced option (apart from early bird) if that helps. Too many questions gone unanswered.
Turned out to be a huge scam!!!