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.
Greer is a city in both Greenville and Spartanburg counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina, between the cities of Greenville and Spartanburg. The population was 16,843 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, 26,040 people live in the city and is projected to hit 30,000 within 4 years. Each day, more than three times that number of people pass through the city on the two highways which run through the city. The Greenville County portion of Greer is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Spartanburg County portion is part of the Spartanburg Metropolitan Statistical Area. Greer is adjacent to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, which serves Greenville, Spartanburg, and The Upstate. Greer is also the site of the only BMW manufacturing facility in North America. According to a June 2005 article in The Greenville News, BMW's Greer plant employs about 4,600 workers, and has attracted dozens of suppliers in South Carolina, providing jobs for more than 12,000 workers. Greer has also been home to the Michelin North America main headquarters for almost a quarter of a century. It is South Carolina's fifth biggest employer. Its longtime presence in South Carolina has amassed a work force of 9,000 and owns seven manufacturing facilities in South Carolina: Anderson, Greenville, Lexington, Spartanburg and Winnsboro.