Marikina court sides with TVJ on ‘Eat Bulaga’ case versus TAPE, GMA

A Marikina court has handed down its decision today on the dispute between TVJ and TAPE.

On Friday, January 5, 2024, the Branch 273 of the Marikina Regional Trial Court issued its decision on the copyright infringement and unfair competition complaint filed by noontime trio Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon versus Television and Production Exponents (TAPE), Inc. and broadcast giant GMA Network.

In a livestream earlier this afternoon, TVJ jubilantly shared the news to their followers.

Former Senator Sotto read the court’s decision, “wherefore, judgment is hereby rendered in favor of the plaintiffs against the defendants,” which in this case are TVJ, ‘E.A.T.’ director Poochie Rivera, and headwriter Jenny Ferre.

The court order also stipulated that it is ordering TAPE, Inc. and GMA Network to stop using the trademarks ‘Eat Bulaga’ and ‘EB,’ playing the iconic ‘Eat Bulaga’ theme song, as well as rebroadcasting episodes from before May 31, 2023.

The defendants were also directed to pay damages and attorney fees incurred by the plaintiffs.

Marikina RTC Branch 273 also directed the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to cancel all trademark registration of TAPE, Inc. for the marks ‘Eat Bulaga’ and ‘EB’.

The IPOPHL has since canceled TAPE’s registration, which covered sections 16, 18, 21, and 25, last December.

The same authority has also likewise granted the trademark application of Joey de Leon for the marks ‘Eat Bulaga’ and ‘EB,’ under section 41 of the Intellectual Property code.

The court also dismissed the counter claims of TAPE and GMA due to “lack of merit.”

After reading the portions of the order, Vic Sotto emotionally proclaimed: “Sa madaling sabi, sa atin ang ‘Eat Bulaga!'”

The whole staffers and the main hosts then sang the ‘Eat Bulaga’ jingle — now, without the spelled out E.A.T.

TAPE, Inc. and GMA Network have not yet issued their official statements regarding the matter.

The decision came more than six months after the case was filed last June 30, 2023 or a month since TVJ, hosts, and members of the production team behind ‘Eat Bulaga’ left TAPE on May 31, 2023.

Their departure happened months after the internal problem between the production group and the new management unfolded.

On June 5, 2023, TAPE resumed production of their noontime program using the title ‘Eat Bulaga’ with a new set of hosts led by former Manila mayor Isko Moreno, Paolo Contis, Buboy Villar, Betong Sumaya, among others.

The TVJ group, meanwhile, inked a partnership with Mediaquest to produce a noontime show for TV5, which debuted on July 1, 2023 under the interim title ‘E.A.T.’

In that same month, both TAPE and TVJ celebrated the 44th anniversary of their noontime show.

As mentioned above, in December, the Intellectual Property Office canceled TAPE’s registration and approved Joey de Leon’s application.

TAPE, through the December 6, 2023 episode of their program, said that they will continue to use the title pending their appeal, as well as the court decision.

Concurrent to that, ‘E.A.T.’ was rebranded on-air and online as ‘Eat Bulaga,’ although TV5 continued to use the interim name for its official plugs and livestreams.

The Marikina court order also coincides with the upcoming launch of the TVJ-TV5 noontime show’s simulcast on CNN Philippines tomorrow, January 6, 2024.