Television and Production Exponents Inc. (TAPE) has taken legal action by filing a petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and preliminary mandatory injunction in response to a recent court decision favoring TVJ’s utilization of the ‘Eat Bulaga’ trademark.
After the court’s ruling, the former ‘E.A.T’ group promptly switched to the ‘EAT… Bulaga!’ title. Consequently, the GMA Network noontime show was renamed ‘Tahanang Pinakamasaya.’
Atty. Maggie Garduque, TAPE’s legal counsel, expressed discontent, labeling the initial decision as a “blatant violation of the rules and the disrespect of the jurisdiction of the IPO on the pending trademark cases.”
Garduque clarified that TVJ’s complaint primarily revolves around “copyright infringement” and “unfair competition,” particularly concerning the network’s broadcast of previous episodes of ‘Eat Bulaga.’
The lawyer emphasized, “What is needed is for the court to decide if TVJ and Ferre have copyright ownership over these audio-visual recordings of past episodes of ‘Eat Bulaga’ to rule whether copyright infringement and unfair competition are committed. The issue on trademark ownership and cancellation is irrelevant and off-tangent in this case.”
As of now, there has been no official statement or response from TVJ’s legal team regarding the ongoing dispute.
