Mamunya IP has successfully concluded a five-year legal battle against HBO, representing Lyudmila Ignatenko — the widow of Chernobyl firefighter Vasyl Ignatenko — whose name and personal narrative were used without consent in HBO's acclaimed miniseries Chernobyl.
In 2020, Mamunya IP took on Ms. Ignatenko’s representation on a pro bono basis. The lawsuit challenged HBO's unauthorized commercial exploitation of real individuals' names in a dramatized, non-documentary work, which violates the Civil Code of Ukraine and distorted the reality of her personal story.
Key Case Milestones & Status:
Supreme Court Victory: In November 2025, the Supreme Court of Ukraine issued a definitive ruling confirming that HBO breached Lyudmila Ignatenko’s personal rights, ordering the network to pay UAH 500,000 in moral damages.
Non-Compliance by Debtor: To date, HBO has failed to comply with the binding court order or settle the awarded compensation.
Asset Seizure: As part of enforcement proceedings, the state bailiff has formally seized all registered HBO trademarks within the jurisdiction of Ukraine.
Upcoming Public Auction: Should HBO continue to default on the judgment, its Ukrainian trademark rights will be put up for public auction, opening the bidding to any interested parties.
Enforcing individual rights against global media giants is a landmark moment for Ukrainian jurisprudence. We remain fully committed to securing complete enforcement of the Supreme Court's judgment and protecting our client's dignity.