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.
Ballinger is a city in and the county seat of Runnels County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,243 at the 2000 census. Ballinger calls itself "The Greatest Little Town in Texas. " Ballinger is the birthplace of former nationally syndicated entertainment columnist Lane Crockett (born 1942, who was primarily affiliated with the Shreveport Times. He has been called the "prince of performance critics. " George E. "Buddy" West, a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Odessa who served from 1993—2008, was born in Ballinger in 1936. Ballinger is also known as the home of the 2003 3A High School Girls Cross Country State Champions.