Trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.

It depends on where you do business. A federal registration on the USPTO's Principal Register gives nationwide notice of your claim and nationwide priority from the filing date (15 U.S.C. §§ 1057(c), 1072). It requires use of the mark in interstate commerce, or an intent-to-use application followed by proof of use. A California registration, filed with the Secretary of State, requires actual use in California, covers California only, and lasts five years, with renewal available (Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 14200 et seq., 14217).

For a U.S. work, yes: the Copyright Office must register or refuse the work before you can file an infringement lawsuit (17 U.S.C. § 411(a)). Register early. Statutory damages and attorney's fees are generally unavailable for infringement that began before registration, unless the work is registered within three months after first publication (17 U.S.C. § 412).

Generally three years from when the misappropriation was discovered, or reasonably should have been, under both California's Uniform Trade Secrets Act (Civ. Code § 3426.6) and the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. § 1836(d)). A continuing misappropriation counts as a single claim, so the clock does not restart.