TVJ wins 'Eat Bulaga' trademark war against TAPE Inc.

 

 

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPO) has canceled the trademark registration of Television and Production Exponents (TAPE), Inc. for the names "Eat Bulaga" and "EB."

 

According to Atty. Josephine Alon, the Adjudication Officer at IPO's Bureau of Legal Affairs, the decision was made on December 4, 2023. TAPE Inc. apparently couldn't prove how they came up with the "EAT BULAGA" mark.

 

On the flip side, Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon, also known as TVJ, spilled the beans on how they coined the term "Eat Bulaga." Their testimony and explanation got the court's nod.

 

The decision stated, "Registrant-Registrant did not refute how Petitioners coined the term 'EAT BULAGA' as the title for a noontime show in 1979." Respondent-Registrant even supported their claim by mentioning, "After their engagement, we thought of the name of the noontime show. I submitted several names to Romy, including 'Eat Bulaga,' which was suggested by Joey."

 

By the way, "Romy" in the document refers to Romy Jalosjos, the owner of TAPE and producer of the long-running noontime show "Eat Bulaga!" on GMA-7.

 

Moreover, the decision stated that Petitioners (TVJ) are the true owners of the "EAT BULAGA" mark. They applied for registration with the Intellectual Property of the Philippines in February 2023, covering various classes.

 

The decision concludes, "Petitioners are the owners, and they have the absolute and exclusive right to register the EAT BULAGA mark and all variations, including the 'Eat Bulaga' and EB marks."

 

According to Atty. Garduque, TAPE's handling lawyer for IPO cases, they haven't received a copy of the decision yet. If true, TAPE can appeal to the director of the BLA of IPO. If still unsatisfied, they can take it up to the director general of the IPO. TAPE is ready to explore all legal options to reverse this decision.