Under intellectual property law, owners are granted certain exclusive rights to a variety of intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works; discoveries and inventions; and words, phrases, symbols, and designs. Common types of intellectual property include copyrights, trademarks, patents, industrial design rights and trade secrets. Intellectual property law involves advising and assisting individuals and businesses on the development, use, and protection of intellectual property -- which includes ideas, artistic creations, engineering processes, scientific inventions, and more.
Hoffman Estates is a northwestern suburb of Chicago in Illinois. The village is located primarily in Cook County with a small section in Kane County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 49,495 and estimated to be 52,520 in 2003. The village was incorporated in 1959 . The village now serves as the headquarters location for the Sears Holdings Corporation, the midwest headquarters for AT&T and the American headquarters for Mori Seiki. It also hosts a series of special events at the Sears Centre Arena and is home to the Chicago Storm of the Major Indoor Soccer League, the Chicago Slaughter of the Continental Indoor Football League and the Chicago Bliss of the Lingerie Football League. Starting in 2009, the village will also become the home of the Heartland International Tattoo, one of the largest music & dance festivals of its kind in the Midwest.