Fill Out The Form To Be Connected Instantly to the Patent Infringement Attorney Needed In Your Case!
Ready to talk to someone about an intellectual property matter in Valley City? The form above connects you directly, no need to read everything below first.
Valley City at a glance
Valley City State University is a public university at 101 College Street SW. Through its Department of Computer Systems and Software Engineering it offers degree programs in software engineering, computer information systems and data analytics. The steps below cover ownership questions for anyone in Barnes County who creates something, names something or keeps something secret.
Step one: identify what you own
List what you have made or built, then match each item to the right body of law. Note beside each item who created it and the date.
Step two: check what is registered
Trademarks can also be registered with the state. The North Dakota Secretary of State takes a signed application naming the owner, the goods or services and class, the dates of first use anywhere and in North Dakota, and a statement of ownership, plus a specimen or facsimile of the mark in duplicate. A registration lasts ten years from the registration date, renewable for further ten year periods.
Read the limits as carefully as the benefits. The Secretary of State’s own page says state registration is optional and gives exclusive rights to the mark in North Dakota, and that a federal registration supersedes it. Its main uses are a public state record, proof of registration in state court, and the state infringement remedies of injunction, profits and damages in chapter 47-22 of the Century Code.
Step three: know the court
Barnes County is listed under the Eastern Division of the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota. The court’s pages list 655 1st Ave. North, #130, Fargo, ND 58102-4932 for it.
Protecting your work in Valley City? Get matched with an attorney now.
Step four: watch the clock
Bring your dates to an attorney early.
Step five: protect secrets at work
North Dakota’s Uniform Trade Secrets Act applies to information such as a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique or process. The information must get independent economic value from not being generally known or readily ascertainable by proper means, and its owner must make reasonable efforts to keep it secret. Misappropriation claims must be brought within three years after the misappropriation is discovered or should have been discovered with reasonable diligence, and a continuing misappropriation is a single claim.
For employees, the statute on restraints is N.D.C.C. 9-08-06. It voids a contract that restrains a person from a lawful profession, trade or business to that extent. An attorney should read your agreement before you rely on that summary.
Step six: use local help
The Valley City Barnes County Development Corporation has its office at 250 West Main Street in the Rosebud Visitor Center. Its 2025 page says it rents three furnished coworking offices and two conference rooms there.
The Secretary of State, in Bismarck, registers business entities such as LLCs and corporations, and trade names (assumed names, also called doing business as names), all through the state’s FirstStop Portal. Doing business under a trade name is not allowed until it is registered, and the Secretary of State’s page says the registration must be renewed every 5 years and protects the name in North Dakota only.
Step seven: local organizations to know
In January 2024, Valley City State University announced a business incubator, funded by an Economic Diversification Research grant from the North Dakota University System and to be developed by its students and faculty, to help new and expanding businesses with business plans and basic marketing. That was an announcement of an incubator, and it is not a statement about how it operates today. A 2025 page of the Valley City Barnes County Development Corporation still lists an Entrepreneur Center at the university and a university business incubator, so check with the university for current details. If your idea came out of university work, ask an attorney how the school’s rules on inventions and creative work apply to you.
Step eight: industry context
The Valley City Barnes County Development Corporation lists John Deere Seeding Group among the success stories on its business page. Its home page quotes a former John Deere Seeding Group project manager saying that the company’s expansion further deepened its roots in Valley City. The development corporation’s 2025 pages are the source, not the company, so this page says nothing about what the company has patented or registered.
Facing an infringement dispute in Valley City? Find out where your matter stands.
Step nine: talk to an attorney
Take these to a first conversation:
- The dates you made, used, shared or sold each item.
- Any registration, state or federal.
- Every agreement that mentions the item.
The page for North Dakota intellectual property attorneys gives the statewide view, and pages for Jamestown and Dickey cover nearby places. When you are ready, you can get matched with an intellectual property attorney.
Related Intellectual Property Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
What computer related degree programs does Valley City State University list?
Through its Department of Computer Systems and Software Engineering, the university, a public institution at 101 College Street SW, offers programs in software engineering, computer information systems and data analytics.
What was announced about a business incubator at the university in 2024?
In January 2024 the university announced a business incubator funded by an Economic Diversification Research grant from the North Dakota University System and to be developed by its students and faculty. It is meant to help new and expanding businesses with business plans and basic marketing. That is an announcement, and a 2025 development corporation page still lists a university business incubator.
Can I rent office space through the Valley City Barnes County Development Corporation?
Its 2025 page says its office is at 250 West Main Street in the Rosebud Visitor Center and that it rents three furnished coworking offices and two conference rooms there. Availability and terms are for the corporation to confirm.
Which federal court division lists Barnes County?
Barnes County is listed under the Eastern Division of the District of North Dakota, and the court’s pages list 655 1st Ave. North, #130, Fargo, ND 58102-4932 for it.
Is a North Dakota trademark registration renewable?
Yes. A registration lasts ten years from the registration date and can be renewed for further ten year periods. The Secretary of State’s page says it gives exclusive rights to the mark in North Dakota.
Do I have to register an assumed business name in North Dakota?
A person or organization may not do business under a trade name until it is registered with the Secretary of State. The registration must be renewed every 5 years and protects the name in North Dakota only.
Speak With Someone Who Handles Cases Like Yours
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.
