The ongoing dispute over the ownership of the official YouTube channel of the Philippines’ longest-running noontime show, ‘Eat Bulaga,’ has taken a legal turn, with Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon (TVJ) preparing to take legal action against Television and Production Exponents, Inc. (TAPE), the production company behind the show.
The controversy arose when TAPE Inc. gained access and control of the YouTube channel, prompting TVJ to assert their ownership rights. According to TVJ’s legal team, the owner of a YouTube channel is determined by the email used to register it, and they claim that the email belongs to them.
“The content of that YouTube account consists of past episodes of ‘Eat Bulaga.’ The copyright of the show and its episodes belong to TVJ,” emphasized Enrique Dela Cruz Jr., the attorney representing TVJ, in an interview with Inquirer.
He added, “We are preparing the appropriate legal action. This may constitute a cybercrime if they hacked into the account or made misrepresentations to YouTube.”
TAPE recently confirmed that they had regained access to the YouTube page of ‘Eat Bulaga’ after working with the video-sharing platform to update the account’s email and contact information. They expressed their eagerness to provide content and entertainment to their online viewers.
However, the situation has escalated into a legal battle, with TVJ intent on defending their ownership claim. The dispute arose in May when TAPE Inc. lost access to the YouTube account, following the departure of former employees, including the original hosts of ‘Eat Bulaga.’
The YouTube channel currently features new content alongside the previous vlogs and ‘Pinoy Henyo’ videos. It prominently showcases the show’s new hosts, such as Paolo Contis, Isko Moreno, and Buboy Villar.
As of now, the ‘Eat Bulaga’ YouTube channel boasts over five million subscribers and has accumulated more than 1.5 billion views on its videos. The legal battle over its ownership is expected to continue as both parties seek resolution through legal means.
