Allerca founder Simon Brodie, who introduced the world to his hypoallergenic cats earlier this year, has been served a desist and refrain order from the California Department of Corporations in response to a notice on his website seeking investors, reports Red Herring magazine. For $45,000, investors were invited to claim “exclusive” franchise territory to sell the special cats. The franchises, however, were not registered properly, according to California authorities.
Brodie has faced legal problems before, Red Herring reports. David Avner, a physician in Colorado, claims that he discovered the unique gene responsible for creating the hypoallergenic cats — not Simon Brodie. Avner says Brodie lifted the idea after posing as a potential investor.
Avner filed an injunction through the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado to prevent Brodie from using the information, but he says that when the settlement expired, Brodie started his company, Allerca. Avner questions Brodie’s ability to duplicate the original studies in such a short time, Red Herring reports.
Allerca says it created a proprietary test to identify the unique gene that resulted in the hypoallergenic cats. Julie Chytrowsky, a company spokesperson, also says the franchise situation will be resolved soon.
For more information on Allerca’s franchise situation, visit the Red Herring website. To learn more about Allerca, visit the company’s website.