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Who creates and owns ideas around Watford City
The Bakken Area Skills Center in Watford City is a 40,000 square foot facility that the McKenzie County school district began using in January 2024 as a regional career and technical education center. Its shops cover building trades, welding, auto and diesel mechanics, and automation. The district’s page is the source for that description, with a county economic development news item from 2024 corroborating the center’s place in Watford City, so the wording here stays modest.
Two North Dakota rules follow. The first is the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, which covers information such as a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique or process that gets independent economic value from not being generally known or readily ascertainable by proper means and that the owner takes reasonable efforts to keep secret. A misappropriation claim 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.
The second is the statute on noncompetes, 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 any agreement before you rely on this summary.
Registering a business and a name in North Dakota
The Secretary of State, in Bismarck, registers entities such as LLCs and corporations, and trade names, also called assumed names or doing business as names, all through the FirstStop Portal. A person or organization may not do business under a trade name until it is registered. Under the Secretary of State’s page, a trade name registration must be renewed every 5 years and protects the name in North Dakota only.
North Dakota also takes state registrations. The state application is signed and names the owner, the goods or services and class, the dates of first use anywhere and in North Dakota, and a statement of ownership, with a specimen or facsimile of the mark in duplicate. A registration lasts ten years from the registration date and can be renewed for further ten year periods. The Secretary of State’s page on registering a business says state registration is optional, gives exclusive rights in North Dakota, and is superseded by a federal registration. Its uses are a public state record, proof of registration in state court, and the state remedies of injunction, profits and damages in chapter 47-22.
Courts, clocks and the basics
McKenzie County is listed under the Western Division of the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota. The court’s pages list 220 East Rosser Ave. #476, Bismarck, ND 58501-3869 for the division, with a mailing address of PO Box 1193, Bismarck, ND 58502-1193.
Local offices to know about
The Williston State College Regional Small Business Development Center, part of the North Dakota SBDC network, has its office within the Long X Development Team at the Long X Visitor Center, 100 2nd Ave SW, Suite A, in Watford City. The listing is for an office, as the city’s page for the Long X Development Team gives it.
The City of Watford City runs the Rough Rider Fund, funded by a one and a half cent city sales tax. Its 2026 programs include a business startup and expansion forgivable loan and a business automation and innovation forgivable loan, and the handbook was revised on January 5, 2026. Program terms can change, so read the city’s page before you plan around them.
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Start with a conversation
Before you speak with an attorney, gather the dates you made, used or sold the item and any agreement that mentions it. The page for North Dakota intellectual property attorneys gives the statewide view, and the page for nearby Williston covers that city. When you are ready, you can get matched with an intellectual property attorney.
Not sure which type of protection applies? Get matched with an attorney.
Related Intellectual Property Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Small Business Development Center office in Watford City?
The Williston State College Regional Small Business Development Center, part of the North Dakota SBDC network, has its office within the Long X Development Team at the Long X Visitor Center, 100 2nd Ave SW, Suite A, in Watford City. That is an office listing, according to the city’s team page.
What is the Rough Rider Fund?
It is a fund run by the City of Watford City and funded by a one and a half cent city sales tax. Its 2026 programs include a business startup and expansion forgivable loan and a business automation and innovation forgivable loan. The handbook was revised on January 5, 2026.
What is the Bakken Area Skills Center?
It is a 40,000 square foot facility that the McKenzie County school district began using in January 2024 for a regional career and technical education center, with shops for building trades, welding, auto and diesel mechanics, and automation.
Which federal court division lists McKenzie County?
McKenzie County is listed under the Western Division of the District of North Dakota, and the court’s pages list 220 East Rosser Ave. #476, Bismarck, ND 58501-3869, with a mailing address of PO Box 1193, Bismarck, ND 58502-1193.
Does a trade name registration in North Dakota protect me in other states?
No. The Secretary of State’s page says a trade name registration protects the name in North Dakota only, and it must be renewed every 5 years. A trade name must be registered before a person or organization does business under it.
Can a North Dakota employer enforce a noncompete?
N.D.C.C. 9-08-06 voids a contract that restrains a person from a lawful profession, trade or business to that extent. An attorney should confirm how it applies to a given agreement.
Talk to an Attorney About Your Watford City Matter
An intellectual property matter is easier to handle with someone reading the documents alongside you. Submit the form to be connected with an attorney who can go over your work, the deadlines, and the court for McKenzie County.
