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Dispute brews over 'Eat Bulaga' trademarks: IPOPHL

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MANILA - A dispute is brewing over the ownership of the &quot;Eat Bulaga&quot; and &quot;EB&quot; trademarks, according to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).The IPOPHL said its Bureau of Legal Affairs (BLA) received a petition from TV hosts Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey De Leon (TVJ) last June 2 to cancel these trademarks of Television and Production Exponents Inc (TAPE), the company that produces the noontime show. &quot;One of the grounds is that the registration sought to be canceled was obtained fraudulently,&quot; IPOPHL said. The agency said that under the country&#x27;s Intellectual Property Code, &quot;any person who believes that he is or will be damaged by the registration of a mark&quot; may file a petition to cancel.&quot;Under BLA protocol, IPOPHL has issued a Notice to Answer to TAPE, Inc. last June 6,&quot; the agency added. If TAPE fails to file an Answer, it will be declared in default and the case will be decided based &quot;on the available merits and facts such as petitions, evidence submitted, records and applicable provisions of the law.&quot;&quot;If TAPE, Inc. files an Answer, both parties will undergo mandatory mediation. If they reach an amicable settlement, the case will be deemed resolved based on a Compromise Agreement approved by the BLA. However, if there is no settlement, the cases will be assigned to an Adjudication Officer for proper resolution or decision.&quot;IPOPHL said TAPE has 30 days to answer the petition of the former hosts of Eat Bulaga. TVJ announced their departure from Eat Bulaga last May 31 amid a dispute with the owners of TAPE which produces the show.

A dispute is brewing over the ownership of the 'Eat Bulaga' and 'EB' trademarks, according to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).