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CA rejects TAPE's motion in Eat Bulaga! copyright battle

CA orders TAPE to pay TVJ P3-Million in temperate and exemplary damages.
by Arniel C. Serato
Published Sep 29, 2025
CA denies TAPE motion for reconsideration
The Court of Appeals has denied TAPE Inc.’s motion against Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon (TVJ) over the ownership of Eat Bulaga!.: "It was well established that the whole process of audiovisual recording of the show Eat Bulaga emanated from the creative minds of TVJ, making them the copyright owners thereof."
PHOTO/S: Facebook

Hindi kinatigan ng Court of Appeals (CA) ang motion for reconsideration ng TAPE (Television and Production Exponents), Inc. at GMA Network, Inc. na makuha ang titulong Eat Bulaga! mula kina Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, at Joey de Leon — kilala rin sa tawag na TVJ.

Ang TAPE ay production company na pagmamay-ari nina Romeo Jalosjos Sr. at Tony Tuviera, na 44 taong bumili ng blocktime slot sa GMA-7 para sa original show na pinagbidahan ng TVJ.

Kumalas ang TVJ sa Eat Bulaga! ng TAPE noong June 2023 at lumipat sa TV5.

Sa labimpitong (17) pahinang desisyon ng CA na lumabas noong nakaraang linggo, sinabi ritong hindi pagmamay-ari ng TAPE ang audiovisual recordings at jingles ng variety show na Eat Bulaga.

Nakasaad sa resolusyon, base sa ulat ng News5.com na lumabas kahapon, September 28, 2025: “It was well established that the whole process of audiovisual recording of the show Eat Bulaga emanated from the creative minds of TVJ, making them the copyright owners thereof. In fact, TVJ’s approvals were sought from the moment the individual audiovisual segments of the show Eat Bulaga were created, conceptualized, until the same were executed and recorded, and even when they were aired."

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Inatasan ng CA ang TAPE na magbayad ng PHP2 million para sa temperate damages, PHP500,000 sa exemplary damages, at PHP500,000 bilang attorney’s fees.

The Court of Appeals decision on Eat Bulaga and TVJ
Photo/s: Courtesy: TV5 on Facebook

Pahayag naman ni Senate President Tito Sotto sa panalo ng TVJ: "The decision upholds the earlier ruling recognizing TVJ as the copyright owners of the materials in question."

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NOOD KA MUNA!

Read: Eat Bulaga! war and how it changes Philippine TV: A Timeline

court of appeals' first decision on tvj CASE

Nauna nang kinatigan ng Court of Appeals ang TVJ laban sa TAPE at GMA Network na makuha ang titulong Eat Bulaga!.

Sa naunang desisyon ng Branch 273 ng Marikina Regional Trial Court noong January 5, 2024, sinabi ng korte na ang TVJ ang may karapatang gumamit sa Eat Bulaga! trademark.

Read: TVJ wins copyright infringement, unfair competition vs TAPE, GMA-7

Kaugnay ito ng kasong copyright infringement at unfair competition na kinaharap ng TAPE at GMA Network dahil sa pag-ere ng noontime show gamit ang Eat Bulaga! trademark.

Sa desisyong inilabas ng 9th division of Court of Appeals noong December 13, 2024, ibinasura nila ang magkahiwalay na petisyong inihain ng TAPE at GMA Network na hinihiling baliktarin ang desisyon ng Marikina RTC.

Sa nasabing petisyon, kinukuwestiyon ng TAPE at GMA Network ang utos ng RTC na kanselahin ang pagpaparehistro ng trademark ng TAPE Inc. ng Eat Bulaga! at pagpapahinto sa kanila sa paggamit nito.

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Sa ulat ng abogado.com, nakasaad ang ilang excerpts mula sa desisyon ng CA.

Giit ng CA, ang desisyon ng Marikina RTC ay walang kinalaman sa pagpapabor ng korte sa TVJ.

Dumaan daw ito sa tamang proseso.

Sinabi rin ng CA na sinunod lang ng Marikina RTC ang state policy pabor sa eksklusibong karapatan ng isang indibiduwal sa intellectual property nito.

Maituturing daw na "inventors" ang TVJ ng Eat Bulaga! dahil bukod sa si Joey ang nag-imbento ng pangalan, sina Tito, Vic, at Joey ang nagpasikat ng show sa loob ng higit apat na dekada.

Bahagi ng desisyon ng CA (published as is): "Here, Tito, Vic, and Joey cannot be faulted for their unceasing affiliation with the Eat Bulaga brand.

"For they have undoubtedly acquired and established goodwill and favorable reputation as the longtime hosts of the Eat Bulaga entertainment and variety program, not just by Joey coining the name of the show at its very inception, but by the trio bringing joy and laughter to their wide viewership for non more than forty-four years, so much so that TVJ have become synonymous with Eat Bulaga in the eyes and subconsciousness of the general viewing public."

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Sinabi rin ng CA na napag-alaman ng korte na may ilang paglabag ang TAPE Inc. at GMA Network.

Kabilang na rito ang paggamit sa Eat Bulaga! trademark para sa jingle, logo, at recorded episodes ng inereng noongtime show ng TAPE na walang pahintulot sa TVJ.

Read: Court of Appeals affirms TVJ owns Eat Bulaga! trademark

Wala pang pahayag ang TAPE sa bagong desisyon ng Court of Appeals.

MORE STORIES ABOUT #EATBULAGAWAR

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The Court of Appeals has denied TAPE Inc.’s motion against Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon (TVJ) over the ownership of Eat Bulaga!.: "It was well established that the whole process of audiovisual recording of the show Eat Bulaga emanated from the creative minds of TVJ, making them the copyright owners thereof."
PHOTO/S: Facebook
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