TVJ Original Owners Of ‘Eat Bulaga’ Trademark, IPOPHL Rules

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has canceled Television and Production Exponents Inc. (TAPE Inc.)’s trademark registration of “Eat Bulaga.”

TAPE Inc. failed to provide context on how they came up with the term “Eat Bulaga” as the title for the noontime show back in 1979, according to IPOPHIL.

“Respondent-Registrant TAPE Inc.’s existing trademark registrations over the marks ‘Eat Bulaga and EB’ and ‘EB’ should be cancelled as they were obtained in contravention of the provisions of RA (Republic Act) No. 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (IP Code),” IPOPHL’s decision released on Monday, Dec. 4, stated.

On the other hand, petitioners Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon managed to attest their ownership claim over the “Eat Bulaga” trademark.

“Having sufficiently established how Petitioners coined the EAT BULAGA mark, it is Petitioners and not Respondent-Registrant who own the mark,” IPOPHL said.

“Considering that Petitioners are the owners, they have absolute and exclusive right to register the EAT BULAGA mark and all variations thereto, including the subject ‘Eat Bulaga’ mark and the ‘EB’ mark, under its name,” it added.

Reacting to the news, Tito Sotto wrote in a Facebook post: “Praise God. Salamat sa sagot sa aming panalangin.”

In a statement sent to The Philippine STAR’s Entertainment section, TAPE’s legal counsel Maggi Abraham-Garduque stressed that the production company “will avail of all legal actions or remedies to reverse this decision.”

While TAPE Inc.’s handling lawyer for IPOPHL cases has yet to receive a copy of the said decision, Garduque relayed that the company could appeal the decision to the director of the Bureau of Legal Authorities of IPOPHL.

“If still unsatisfied with the decision of the director, they can still appeal it to the director general of the IPO,” Garduque said.

IPOPHL granted the “Eat Bulaga” trademark renewal to TAPE last June 14, 2023 and effective until June 14, 2033.

Meanwhile, original “Eat Bulaga” hosts Tito, Vic and Joey, collectively known as TVJ, filed copyright infringement charges against TAPE, Inc. in June after TAPE and GMA Network aired and replayed some episodes of their show.

TVJ, along with other legit Dabarkads, parted ways with TAPE, their former blocktime producer, in May after almost 44 years.

To date, TVJ appear on their new show titled E.A.T. on TV5 while “Eat Bulaga” currently airs on GMA Network with a new set of hosts.

TVJ’s legal counsel Enrique dela Cruz told “Sa Totoo Lang” on One PH on Tuesday, Dec. 5, that TAPE Inc. should respect the ruling, despite expecting their plans to appeal.

Given the decision, he stressed TVJ should already be able to use the “Eat Bulaga” name again.

“Sabi ng IPO, hindi unahan ang laban sa trademark. Hindi porke’t nauna ka nagrehistro, eh sa ‘yo na (The IPO said trademark disputes are not a matter of who comes first) Just because you were the one who registered it first, it is automatically yours),” Dela Cruz noted.

In an earlier interview with entertainment journalist MJ Marfori, De Leon said they are thankful for the decision, and it is “God’s gift” to regain control over their “legacy” after a lengthy legal dispute.

De Leon added that truth prevailed, despite TAPE Inc. being the ones to register “Eat Bulaga,” and experts questioning TVJ’s legal decisions. “Pero sa huli, nanaig ang katotohanan (But in the end, the truth prevailed),” he said.