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Iliana is an IP specialist and manages the international portfolio of nearly 1500 trademarks, registered in over 140 countries, for a US consumer product goods company. She also represents numerous other US and European companies as to selected IP matters in Germany and the EU. Iliana is also active in brand management and the development of cost effective brand strategies, including the consideration of possible enforcement costs.
Together with the litigation group, Iliana participates in and supervises legal actions against counterfeits and other trademark infringements, both before court and through the use of customs actions in selected jurisdictions. Such actions frequently involve obtaining summary or temporary injunctive relief to avert greater harm to the IP rights holder from infringements and counterfeits. Assisting her international clients in these and other matters, Iliana has regularly been involved with issues of unfair competition related to trademark claims and claims involving false advertising. Also in these cases, an effective remedy generally will require injunctive action.
Such need for immediate enforcement action through injunctive relief often arises during the course of trade fair exhibitions. Given Germany's leading position as a center for international trade fairs, the protecting of IP rights at German trade fairs has become a niche specialty.
Iliana received her law degree from the University of Sofia and was appointed an instructor of civil, commercial and intellectual property law at the University. In 1982 she received a fellowship at the Max-Planck-Institute for foreign and international patent, copyright and competition law in Munich where she did a comparative study of patent law in Eastern Europe.
Iliana has specialized in intellectual property protection for over 20 years. Her practice is international in scope and includes counseling on the legal rights available to the IP rights holder under the numerous international treaties that have been implemented to obtain, protect and maintain intellectual property rights. Most importantly, she has had lengthy experience in handling trademark prosecutions and enforcement work under both the Madrid Treaty and the Madrid Protocol. With the accession of the United States to the Madrid Protocol, she co-authored an article in Faegre & Benson's client communication TRENDS as to the benefits and limitations available through a Madrid Protocol registration.
Iliana also has significant expertise in trademark and design prosecution, including with the German and the European trademark offices (for Europe: the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market - OHIM), having registered numerous marks and designs in both offices as well as successfully filing and defending marks in opposition proceedings. Her practice includes counseling and enforcing of trademark, trade name, name rights and domain names.
She has had primary or significant responsibility in negotiating and preparing international trademark assignments, licensing and settlements. Her assignments also include international copyright protection and counseling in connection with the new media, in reviewing intellectual property rights in connections with mergers and acquisitions and licensing issues generally.
Iliana also advises generally on Eastern European investment with emphasis on the NIS. She is fluent in English, German, Russian and Bulgarian. | 