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.
Kalamazoo is the largest city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 76,145. It is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage metropolitan area, which had an estimated population of 323,713 as of 2008. Kalamazoo is home to Western Michigan University, a nationally recognized research institution that has benefited from the local presence of Pfizer, Eaton Corporation and Stryker Corporation. This has enabled the school to offer solid programs in both its College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Haworth College of Business. The city is also home to Kalamazoo College (often referred to as "K College"), a liberal arts school located adjacent to WMU's campus. Kalamazoo was home to Nazareth College until its closure in 1991.