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.
Midland is a town in in southern Cabarrus County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it lies in the region known as the Piedmont. The name of the town is derived from its location approximately one-half way between Charlotte and Oakboro on the railroad line. As the town was not yet incorporated at the time of the 2000 census, it was not listed then, but 2006 Census Bureau estimates give the town's population as 2,978. Visitors and new residents to the area are often surprised to learn the local pronunciation of the town's name. In local parlance, "Midland" is pronounced as a spondee, with nearly equal verbal emphasis on both first and last syllables. Other Midlands around the country, including those in Texas and Michigan, are generally pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable. While Midlanders may refer to "MID-lind," Texas, they themselves live in "MID-LAND," North Carolina. US Hwy 601 and NC 24/27 are the major highways. At this writing (January 2007) there is one traffic signal in the town at the intersection of Hwy. 601 and State Road 24/27, which is north of Midland proper and was once known locally as "Hell's Half Acre. " The U.S. Postal Service has maintained a post office in Midland for many years (Zip code 28107), and rural mail routes extend from Midland into portions of four counties.