Berj Andrew Terzian

BERJ ANDREW TERZIAN has conquered his greatest earthly nemesis…………Alzheimer’s on June 19, 2019 in Newbury, Massachusetts at the age of 87.  “Batman” (as Berj became known to some clients) bravely fought Alzheimer’s with the caring and compassionate staff at AVITA of Newburyport and the hospice team of Compassus.  He passed peacefully from this merciless, inhumane and laborious disease once and for all time.  He is survived by his wife, Antonia Bayer Terzian, his children Christopher (and spouse), Lincoln (and spouse), and Michael, as well as his grandchildren Mathew and Alexis.  He is preceded in death by his daughter, Elizabeth.  Berj is also survived by his two brothers, Nubar and Michael and their spouses.

Berj was born on September 24, 1931 in New York City.  He showed early musical talent and played the piano at the age of 6 at Carnegie Hall in NYC.  He studied the piano and other instruments while attending NYC’s esteemed High School of Music and Arts, and after graduation performed as a professional musician touring the USA for several years.  He then was commissioned to serve in the conflict with Korea during 1951-1953 with an American Army contingent of the United Nations forces.

After returning to America, he began his higher education at City College of New York in 1954, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in 1958 with major concentrations in chemistry and mathematics, also working at Mobil Corporation’s laboratories during the last two of these years.  He then joined the intellectual property law firm of Eyre, Mann & Licas, simultaneously entering Brooklyn Law School from which he graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor of Law degree and later a Juris Doctor degree.

In 1968 Berj joined the prestigious intellectual property law firm of Pennie & Edmonds in their New York City office as an associate attorney.  He was elected to the partnership as a partner in January 1972 and one of the firm’s then ten senior partners in January 1980.  He served as a member of the firm’s governing Executive Committee during 1983 to 1986 and 1988 to 1991.  He was one of the firm’s litigating senior partners until his departure in 2003 to relocate to Massachusetts.  He then served as of counsel to Pennie & Edmonds until 2005 when he formally retired from the practice of law.

Berj was admitted to the Bar in New York, the United States Supreme Court, and most of the commercially significant Federal appellate and district courts throughout the United States.  He was a member of numerous national and local bar associations and served as a Board member and director of the New York Intellectual Property Law Association.

Berj specialized in complex intellectual property litigation in the Federal Courts and similar proceedings in the Patent and Trademark Office.  His cases addressed issues of validity, enforceability and infringement across a broad range of technologies including chemical systems, chemiluminescent products, enzyme immunoassay, hormone contraceptives, recombinant bioengineered proteins, integrated circuits, non-ferrous metals, office copiers, aircraft instrumentation, electric power tools, dental prostheses, tennis rackets and personal care products commonly sold throughout the world.

Berj achieved prominence in the legal profession and national recognition for several significant intellectual property matters.  He succeeded in enforcing basic patents on lithium iodine batteries, resulting in a multimillion dollar infringement judgement against the world’s leading pacemaker manufacturer; defeated patent interference attempts by major foreign corporations to win title to United States patents covering urea manufacturing and polyolefin polymerization technologies; safeguarded the validity of the PRINCE oversized tennis racquet patent in re-examination, International Trade Commission and Federal court proceedings; and successfully defended international film actress Elizabeth Taylor’s right to use her trademark ELIZABETH TAYLOR’S PASSION on fragrances, defeating a French perfume’s claim of exclusive use of the Passion trademark.

In his personal pursuits, Berj invented numerous technologies, systems and methods resulting in the issuance of various patents listed / published in the public domain by the United States Patent & Trademark Office.  These patents included: Hybrid Digital – Analog time displays; Elapsed Timekeeping with Hybrid Digital-Analog time displays; Nanometer Electric Generator technologies; Cell Phone Self-Charging Electronic Device technologies; Internal Combustion Engine Operation Systems & Methods; Retrofit Circuitry for Enhanced Vehicle Hazard Warning Lights; Turn Signal Generated During Vehicle Hazzard Use technology & systems; Enhanced Internal Electrical Generators; and finally Electrical Generator Armature Type for Self-Powering Cell Phone capabilities.  Some of these technologies, systems, and methods resulted in discussions with the United States Department of Transportation and the United State Department of Defense for broad commercial use, or military fighter jet aircraft and pilot applications.  Finally, Berj had created several trademarks and copyrights issued for his patented technologies and products, some of which were owned by companies he controlled such as Trixcel LLP, Equitime, Inc. Tritel, LLC, Bri Energy Solutions Limited, and Incelex LLC.

Berj also was the Executive Producer of a film entitled “Letters From The Dead” that premiered at the 2003 Brooklyn International Film Festival.  This movie eventually earned film Director Ari Taub the title of “Best New Director 2003”.  The film was set during the final days of the Second World War and depicted the tense interaction of Italian and German soldiers in the trenches as the American forces closed in on their positions.

Finally, in retirement Berj enjoyed reading, composing music, and spending time with his wife at their beachfront house on Plum Island, Massachussetts.

Visiting hours will be Friday June 21st from 4pm – 8pm at Waterbury & Kelly Funeral Home.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10am at St Theresa’s Church 1394 Pleasantville Rd Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510. Interment Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Sleepy Hollow, NY to follow with full Military Honors.   Donations in Berj’s memory can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

WATERBURY & KELLY FUNERAL HOME

1300 Pleasantville Road

Briarcliff Manor, New York 10510

914-941-0838

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