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.
The town of Upper Black Eddy is one of many small Delaware River Communities, located in the northeastern region of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It is officially part of Bridgeton Township, though some Tinicum Township residents also use the address. Upper Black Eddy gets its name from the Black family. The area now known as Point Pleasant was once called Lower Black's Eddy. It is a mostly rural, residential area, with a few businesses scattered among homes and open space. State Route 32 runs through the village. Although quite rural, Upper Black Eddy (UBE) is home to some famous celebrities. Bill White, first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Francisco Giants as well as sports broadcaster and executive, resides in UBE. Danny Federici,known for his role as the longtime organ, glockenspiel and accordion player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, lived in Upper Black Eddy with his wife until his death in 2008. The Pennsylvania Canal comes down from Easton, passes through Upper Black Eddy and continues on its way south to New Hope and beyond. Much of the town was initially founded around canal-related businesses, including a shipyard, mule stables, and general store. The town was a thriving locale along the Easton-Bristol route, and was a popular stopover point for sailors and administrators. As the town grew, several hotels were built. The Upper Black Eddy inn was erected, and in recent years operated as Chef Tell's Manor House, which closed in 2004, damaged by subsequent river floods and is to be demolished some time in the year 2010. The Bridgeton House, a B&B inn, which opened in 1981, continues the tradition of fine lodging on the Delaware. Upper Black Eddy was supposedly a favored vacation spot for President Grover Cleveland due to his love for fishing. The Upper Black Eddy shipyard was dismantled following the closing of regular operations of the canal. The portion of the canal that passes through Upper Black Eddy was known as "Candy Bend". This section of the canal was not severely damaged by extensive river flooding, but other areas were in 2004, 2005 and 2006, and large portions were rebuilt in 2008 and 2009. A notable feature of Upper Black Eddy is the Ringing Rocks park. This is a 4 acre (16,000 m²) field of large boulders, some of which "ring" much like a bell when struck with a hammer, thanks to a rare geological formation. There is a sizable portion of Pennsylvania State Game Lands in Upper Black Eddy. Camp Kirby, a Cub Scout resident camp for the Bucks County Council, Boy Scout's of America, is located in Upper Black Eddy. The camp season operates from June through August. The Lions Club operates a deaf camp from June to July, and the Boy Scouts of America operates a Cub Scout camp from July to August. The camp property includes a recreation building, closed cabins, a Camp Director's house, a Handicraft Lodge, an air conditioned Dining Hall, a camp office, a trading post, camper campsites, a Health Lodge, a shooting sports range, a computer trailer, a chapel, a campfire area, program trailer and Program Director's cabin. Upper Black Eddy is also home to one of the first Superfund environmental cleanup sites. "Boarhead Farms" a 113-acre (0.46 km) front for an illegal toxic waste dumping ground, was located on the outskirts of Upper Black Eddy. The site was shut down decades ago, following an edict from the federal government, and thousands of drums of hazardous material were removed in 1992. Since this time, the site has been undergoing extensive cleanup, seeing many of the primary contaminants expunged. However, residual contamination to wells of private homes abutting the site is likely to persist for some time. Thankfully, much of the damage occurred about two miles (3 km) from the main population center, with only 11 private dwellings being contaminated. Six have been fully cleaned. Upper Black Eddy is also home to Ajiri Tea, a not-for-profit company that supports education in western Kenya. All profits of the company are donated to orphan education in Kisii, Kenya. Town residents Sara and Ann Holby started the company and Ajiri Foundation after several visits to Kenya. The tea has brought attention to the normally quiet town after a variety of interviews and publishing in major newspapers on the East Coast including The Morning Call. Ajiri Tea has employed several local residents for photography, marketing, and product development.