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Ready to talk to someone about an intellectual property matter in Hobbs? The form above connects you directly, no need to read everything below first.
If you have an invention in Hobbs
The New Mexico Small Business Development Center for Lea County sits on the New Mexico Junior College campus at 1 Thunderbird Circle in Hobbs, according to the college’s SBDC page as read in October 2026. It offers no cost confidential business consulting and low cost workshops. Business planning is one conversation, and protecting the idea in law is another, and the second one belongs with an attorney.
A patent claim is filed in federal court, not state court (28 U.S.C. 1338(a)). For the statewide picture, see New Mexico intellectual property attorneys.
Search first, then decide what to file
Before you choose between a patent, a trade secret and a trademark, write down what you made and who has seen it. Ask an attorney whether a search of existing patents and products makes sense, and what the results mean for your idea.
New Mexico has its own trade secrets statute, the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, found in Chapter 57, Article 3A of the New Mexico statutes (Sections 57-3A-1 to 57-3A-7), and the New Mexico Supreme Court Law Library’s guide to uniform laws lists it. The federal Defend Trade Secrets Act, 18 U.S.C. 1836, sits beside the state statute. The owner of a misappropriated trade secret that relates to a product or service used in, or intended for use in, interstate or foreign commerce can sue in federal court under 18 U.S.C. 1836(b).
Trademarks can be registered federally under 15 U.S.C. 1051, and New Mexico also has a state registration, which the questions below describe.
University and lab connections near Hobbs
New Mexico Junior College runs a Workforce Development Division in Hobbs, at 4000 W. Millen Drive, with a 20,000 square foot training facility and an industrial training center on the same street, according to the college’s workforce development page as read in October 2026. The University of the Southwest is a private university with its campus at 6610 N. Lovington Highway, and its about page says it offers undergraduate and graduate degrees on campus and online.
If your invention grew out of coursework, a job or a project tied to either school, ask an attorney how that school’s rules on inventions apply to you before you file anything. This page does not describe a technology transfer office or a research laboratory at either campus, so do not assume one exists.
Patent clocks and public disclosure
Damages for patent infringement can be recovered only for the six years before a suit is filed (35 U.S.C. 286).
Copyright runs on a different clock. A civil copyright claim must be brought within three years after it accrued (17 U.S.C. 507(b)), and a United States work generally must be registered, or refused registration by the Copyright Office, before an infringement suit can be filed (17 U.S.C. 411(a)).
Before you show an invention to customers, post it online or sell it, talk to an attorney.
Protecting your work in Hobbs? Get matched with an attorney now.
Which federal court covers New Mexico
The federal court in New Mexico is the District of New Mexico. The United States District Court for the District of New Mexico lists courthouses in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Roswell and Santa Fe, and its pages describe them as places where the court holds court.
A patent claim is filed in federal court (28 U.S.C. 1338(a)). Ask an attorney to confirm the court before anything is filed, and do not assume a courthouse from a map.
Questions inventors ask
New Mexico has a statute on noncompetes for health care. Under it, a noncompete in an agreement with a covered health care practitioner cannot be enforced once the agreement, a renewal or an extension, or the practitioner’s employment with the party seeking enforcement ends. A clause that moves such an agreement to another state’s law or courts is void. The covered practitioners include physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, psychologists, physician assistants and pharmacists, and the rule sits in Sections 24A-4-1 to 24A-4-5 of the New Mexico statutes.
An inventor outside health care should have an attorney confirm the current rule before signing or relying on a noncompete.
Finding the right attorney
Bring a short timeline to a first conversation, with dates for when you made, tested, showed or sold the invention and any agreement that touches it. That lets an attorney see which of the clocks above may already be running.
Pages written for Lovington and Carlsbad cover those towns, if your work or your business reaches beyond Hobbs. When you are ready, you can get matched with an intellectual property attorney.
Was your work copied or your brand used without permission? Talk to an attorney in Lea County.
Related Intellectual Property Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a New Mexico state trademark application ask for?
A trademark or service mark can be registered with the New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division, 325 Don Gaspar, Suite 300, Santa Fe, NM 87501, under the state Trademark Act in Chapter 57, Article 3B of the New Mexico statutes. The Secretary of State’s application instructions, revised in 2020, ask for three different specimens, with at least one showing a New Mexico physical address. The instructions also say the mark must already be in use in New Mexico.
What fees does the Secretary of State’s trademark form list?
The form, as revised in 2020, lists a $50 filing fee that includes one class, plus $25 for each added class, and a $25 fee to renew. Check the Secretary of State’s current form before you rely on those amounts.
Can a patent infringement claim be filed in a New Mexico state court?
A patent claim is filed in federal court (28 U.S.C. 1338(a)). The federal court in New Mexico is the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. An attorney can confirm which court a particular case belongs in.
Which courthouses does the District of New Mexico list?
The court lists courthouses in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Roswell and Santa Fe. Its own pages describe them as places where the court holds court.
Where in Hobbs can I get confidential business consulting?
The New Mexico Small Business Development Center for Lea County is on the New Mexico Junior College campus at 1 Thunderbird Circle in Hobbs. The college’s page, as read in October 2026, says it offers no cost confidential business consulting and low cost workshops. Legal advice on who owns an invention is a question for an attorney.
How long can I wait before bringing a patent or copyright claim?
Patent damages can be recovered only for the six years before a suit is filed (35 U.S.C. 286). A civil copyright claim must be brought within three years after it accrued (17 U.S.C. 507(b)). An attorney can tell you when the clock started on your own facts.
Talk to an Attorney About Your Hobbs Matter
The rules on this page are the same statewide, but what they mean for your matter depends on the facts. Use the form to be matched with an attorney who can look at your situation and your dates.
