The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has made a crucial ruling in favor of the iconic TVJ trio: Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon after a heated trademark dispute with TAPE Incorporated (TAPE) over the rights to Eat Bulaga and EB.
Gossips abound that IPOPHL’s Bureau of Legal Affairs Adjudication Officer Josephine Alon has ordered the cancellation of TAPE’s trademark registrations for certain uses of Eat Bulaga and EB, such as merchandising. Picture shirts, mugs, and even lunchboxes adorned with their charming faces.
The impact of this decision could echo through pending trademark applications filed separately by TVJ and De Leon this year, particularly for the use of the Eat Bulaga trademark for entertainment shows and merchandise. Hooray for them!
Television network TV5 disclosed this decision, where the veteran comedians found a new home after departing from TAPE earlier this year. For those not in the loop, TAPE is the blocktimer of Eat Bulaga! on the country’s top network, GMA-7.
Now, the burning question is: why the move to TV5? Well, it turns out TAPE continued to use Eat Bulaga on GMA-7 even after TVJ made their exit to the Kapatid network. It’s quite cheeky, wouldn’t you agree?
In a showdown akin to a rap battle, TAPE acknowledges that it was De Leon who proposed the name Eat Bulaga, yet they insist it was TAPE chief Romeo Jalosjos Sr. who selected it from a list of recommended names for the show. Smooth move, TAPE. Real smooth.
But hold on to your hats because there’s more! TVJ filed a complaint against TAPE for alleged “copyright infringement and unfair competition” due to the continued use of Eat Bulaga! and EB on GMA-7. It’s all about fighting for what’s rightfully yours, isn’t it?
So, what comes next, you ask? Well, TAPE still has the option to appeal the decision, all the way up to the director general of IPOPHL. It ain’t over until the final curtain falls.
And if things weren’t dramatic enough, Eat Bulaga! on GMA-7 is now under the leadership of former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Paolo Contis. Now, that’s what you call a plot twist!
In the end, it seems like the true originals of Eat Bulaga have emerged victorious. It’s like a scene ripped straight from a movie screenplay, isn’t it? Well, buckle up for the next installment because this saga is far from over.
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