Court of Appeals affirms TVJ owns Eat Bulaga! trademark

CA junks the separate petitions filed by TAPE Inc. and GMA Network to TVJ.
Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon (L-R) collectively known as TVJ, together with Jeny Ferre (not in photo), win anew in their legal battle against GMA Network and TAPE Inc.Muling kinatigan ng Court of Appeals (CA) sina Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon o TVJ sa patuloy na pagsubok ng TAPE Inc. (Tape and Production Exponents) at GMA Network, Inc. na makuha ang titulong Eat Bulaga!

Ito’y matapos nilang maghain ng apela ang kampo ng TAPE at GMA.

Sa naunang desisyon ng Branch 273 ng Marikina Regional Trial Court noong January 5, 2024, sinabi ng korte na ang TVJ ang may karapatang gumamit sa Eat Bulaga! trademark.

Kaugnay ito ng kasong copyright infringement at unfair competition na kinaharap ng TAPE at GMA Network dahil sa pag-ere ng noontime show gamit ang Eat Bulaga! trademark.

Ang TAPE ay production company na pagmamay-ari nina Romeo Jalosjos Sr. at Tony Tuviera, na 44 taong bumili ng blocktime slot sa GMA-7 para sa original show na pinagbidahan ng TVJ.

Kumalas ang TVJ sa Eat Bulaga! ng TAPE noong June 2023.

COURT OF APPEALS ON TAPE INC. AND GMA NETWORK INC.

Sa desisyong inilabas na 9th division of Court of Appeals noong December 13, 2023, ibinasura nila ang magkahiwalay na petisyong inihain ng TAPE at GMA Network na hinihiling baliktarin ang desisyon ng Marikina RTC.

Sa petisyon, kinukuwestiyon ng TAPE at GMA Network ang utos ng RTC na kanselahin ang pagpaparehistro ng trademark ng TAPE Inc. ng Eat Bulaga! at pagpapahinto sa kanila sa paggamit nito.

Sa ulat ng abogado.com, nakasaad ang ilang excerpts mula sa desisyon ng CA na pirmado ni Associate Justice Zenaida Galapate-Laguilles.

Giit ng CA, ang desisyon ng Marikina RTC ay walang kinalaman sa pagpapabor ng korte sa TVJ.

Dumaan daw ito sa tamang proseso.

Sinabi rin ng CA na sinunod lang ng Marikina RTC ang state policy pabor sa eksklusibong karapatan ng isang indibiduwal sa intellectual property nito.

Maituturing daw na “inventors” ang TVJ ng Eat Bulaga! dahil bukod sa si Joey ang nag-imbento ng pangalan, sina Tito, Vic, at Joey ang nagpasikat ng show sa loob ng higit apat na dekada.
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Eat Bulaga!
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Bahagi ng desisyon ng CA (published as is): “Here, Tito, Vic, and Joey cannot be faulted for their unceasing affiliation with the Eat Bulaga brand.

“For they have undoubtedly acquired and established goodwill and favorable reputation as the longtime hosts of the Eat Bulaga entertainment and variety program, not just by Joey coining the name of the show at its very inception, but by the trio bringing joy and laughter to their wide viewership for non more than forty-four years, so much so that TVJ have become synonymous with Eat Bulaga in the eyes and subconsciousness of the general viewing public.”

Sinabi rin ng CA na napag-alaman ng korte na may ilang paglabag ang TAPE Inc. at GMA Network.

Kabilang na rito ang paggamit sa Eat Bulaga! trademark para sa jingle, logo, at recorded episodes ng inereng noongtime show ng TAPE na walang pahintulot sa TVJ.

Sabi pa rin sa desisyon ng CA, kung walang intensyon ang TAPE Inc. at GMA Network na linlangin ang taumbayan ay gumawa raw sana ang dalawang kumpanya ng sarili nilang programa na mayroong bagong pangalan.

TVJ’S FIRST VICTORY

July 2023 nang maglabas ng summons ang Branch 273 ng Marikina Regional Trial Court upang hingin ang sagot ng TAPE Inc., at GMA Network, Inc. kaugnay ng inihaing copyright infringement at unfair competition complaints nina Tito, Vic, Joey, at Jenny.

Kaugnay ito ng paggamit ng titulong “Eat Bulaga!”.

Sina Tito, Vic, at Joey ang original hosts ng longest-running noontime show sa Pilipinas, ang Eat Bulaga!, na ipinuprodyus ng TAPE at umeere sa GMA-7 nang ilang dekada.

Ang reklamo ay may docket na SSC Case No. 2023-37-MK.

Nakasaad noon sa docket ng reklamo, “Copyright Infringement and Unfair Competition under R.A. No. 8293, otherwise known as the Intelectual Property Code of the Philippines, with Application for Issuance of a Writ of Preliminary Injunction.”

Ito naman ang nilalaman ng summon, “GREETINGS. You are hereby required, within thirty (30) days after service of this Summons to file with this court and serve on the plaintiffs, through counsel, you Answer to the Complaint, copy of which is attached together with the answers.

“You are reminded of Rule 2, Section 4 of the 2020 Revised Rules of Procedure for Intellectual Property Rights Cases which proscribed the filing of a motion to dismiss except only on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction over the subject matter, litis pendentia, or res judicata, and instead allege any ground/s other than the ones previously mentioned as defense/s in the Answer.

“If you fail to answer within the time fixed, the court, on motion of the plaintiffs, or motu proprio, render judgement as may be warranted by the allegations in the complaint, as well as the affidavits and other evidence on record.

“WITNESS, the Honorable Judge ROMEO DIZON TAGRA, Presiding Judge of this Court, this 10th of July 2023, at Marikina City, Metro Manila, Philippines.”

Pirmadoang naturang summon ni Eunice Bisnar, Acting Court Legal Researcher.

Hanggang noong January 5, masayang inanunsyo nina Tito, Vic, at Joey ang pagkakapanalo nila sa reklamong inihain nila sa TAPE at GMA.

Ibig sabihin nito, wala nang balakid sa paggamit nila ng titulong Eat Bulaga! sa kanilang programa.

Panimula ni Vic sa programa nilang Eat Bulaga! sa TV5, “Sa lahat ng kaibigan namin, mga nanonood sa Facebook Live, marahil nagtataka kayo kung anong ginagawa namin dito, hindi po kami kakanta, wala po kaming ibebenta, meron lang po kaming sanang gustong ibahagi sa lahat ng ating mga kaibigan, sa lahat ng Dabarkads.

“Kami po ay nasa TV5 Media Center, galing kami sa kasalukayan po, nagmi-meeting kami tungkol sa anong plano for the New Year, for 2024, para mas mapaganda ang ating programang Eat Bulaga!.

“Ngayon, at exactly 4:23 ng hapon, kanina-kanina lang, mainit-init pa, e, nakatanggap si Tito Sen ng email at ito ay may kinalaman sa decision ng korte tungkol sa Eat Bulaga!”

Kasunod nito ang pagbasa ni Tito sa dispositive portion ng desisyon ng Marikina Regional Trial Court.

Saad niya, “Wherefore, justice is hereby rendered in favor of the plaintiffs against the defendants.

“Ang plaintiffs po ay Tito, Vic, Joey, kasama si Jeny at Direk Poochie.

“Permanently enjoining the defendants, Television and Production Exponents (TAPE) Inc. and GMA Network, Inc. from:

1. Using the trademarks EB, Eat Bulaga, Eat Bulaga, and EB, including all the logos associated with the subject parts in its shows, programs, projects or promotions and…

2. Using the Eat Bulaga jingle/song or any part thereof in its shows, programs, projects or promotions and…

3. Airing and broadcasting a playback of any and all recorded episodes of the Eat Bulaga show prior to 31st May 2023, its segments or any portion thereof in all channels and platforms.

“Moreover, defendants… marami pang binabanggit at lahat in favor sa atin.

“The Intelectual Property Office of the Philippines through its proper unit/head officer is hereby directed to cause the cancellation of the following trademark registrations in the names of Television Production Exponents Incorporated from its records, database and or registry to it.

“Yun po yung pinakalaman ng dispositive portion.”

Pagsusuma ni Vic: “Sa madaling-salita, e, nanalo po tayo.”

Saad pa ni Tito, “Yung aming sinasabi na tayo po ang may-ari ng Eat Bulaga!.

“Maraming salamat sa iyong pagtangkilik. Maraming salamat sa dasal, at unang-una sa lahat sa Panginoong Diyos. Thank you very much Lord God.”

Pagtatapos ni Vic, “Sa madaling salita, atin talaga ang Eat Bulaga!.