Gerald T. Tschura

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Gerald Tschura has expertise in patent, trademark and copyright law.

Before he had joined the faculty of Cooley Law School, Distinguished Professor Emeritus Tschura enjoyed a long and varied career. In 1978, after graduating with a degree in chemistry, he worked in the oil and gas industry as a research engineer for the Exxon Production Research Company in Houston, Texas.

In 1980, he founded and served as president of Worth Hydrochem of Florida, Inc., in Lake Worth, Florida. The company specialized in commercial and industrial water treatment process design, consulting and training.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Tschura also worked with the firm of Johnson & Bell, Ltd. and Haskell & Perrin in Chicago. The practice concentrated on general commercial litigation including complex multi-party insurance coverage litigation, occupational and toxic exposure claims, products liability and patent infringement.

In 1992, he worked with the intellectual property firm of Krass & Young, P.C., located in Troy, Michigan. His primary responsibility included handling patent and trademark litigation matters including trial and appellate work. On numerous occasions, Professor Tschura has appeared and argued cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and has extensive experience in preparation and prosecution of applications for patents and trademarks before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

In 1994, he accepted the position of Divisional Vice President-Intellectual Property Law with Kmart Corp., of Troy, Mich. He managed and supervised all domestic and international intellectual property matters for Kmart Corp., and specialty retailing subsidiaries until 2002.

In 2002, he became an Associate Professor at Cooley. He was instrumental in helping to develop the Intellectual Property LL.M. program and was the director.

Articles (Law Reviews and Law Journals)

• Gerald T. Tschura, Likelihood of Confusion and Expressive Functionality: A Fresh Look at the Ornamental Use of Institutional Colors, Names and Emblems on Apparel and Other Goods, 53 Wayne L. Rev. 873 (2007).

Short Works

• Gerald T. Tschura, First Amendment Defense Prevails in Artist’s and University’s Trademark Dispute, 23 IPLS Proc. Newsletter (State Bar of Michigan, Lansing, Mich.),  2012 at 11.

Presentations

• Gerald T. Tschura, Keynote Speaker, Protecting Your Intellectual Property in the Global Marketplace (United States Department of Commerce and the Eastern Michigan District Export Council, Troy, Michigan Sept. 23. 2013).
• Gerald T. Tschura, Speaker, Trademarks – the Value of Branding Your Invention (Elijah McCoy United States Patent and Trademark Office, Detroit, Michigan Sept. 7, 2013).
• Gerald T. Tschura, Lecturer, Academic Course on International Trademark Law (INTA National Meeting, Dallas, Texas May 4-5, 2013).
• Gerald T. Tschura, Lecturer, Academic Course on International Trademark Law (INTA National Meeting, Washington, District of Columbia, May 5-6, 2012).
• Gerald T. Tschura, Lecturer, Academic Course on International Trademark Law (INTA National Meeting, San Francisco, California May 15-16, 2011).
• Gerald T. Tschura, Panelist and Moderator, How to Integrate Real Life into Your Trademark Class (Adjunct Professors Special Interest Group, INTA Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California May 16, 2011).
• Gerald T. Tschura, Lecturer, Academic Course on International Trademark Law (INTA Annual Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts May 23-24, 2010).
• Gerald T. Tschura, Lecture, Freedom of Expression and Unfair Competition: An International Academic Perspective on the Boundaries of Fair Use (130th Annual Meeting, International Trademark Association, May 20, 2008).
• Gerald T. Tschura, Lecture, Intellectual Property Rights (Michigan and the World Coalition, Michigan and the World Conference, China: Closer Than You Think, Nov. 17, 2006).
• Gerald T. Tschura, Moderator, 2004 International Trademark Forum (Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan and Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Oct. 20, 2004).
• Gerald T. Tschura, Lecture, IP Holding Companies – Risks and Rewards (126th Annual Meeting, International Trademark Association, May 4, 2004).
• Gerald T. Tschura, Lecture, Private Label and the Problem of Look-Alikes (122nd Annual Meeting, International Trademark Association, Industry Breakout, Apparel, Cosmetics and Consumer Goods, May 1, 2000).