ABS CBN vs Willie Revillame Issue
State what part of RA 8293 is being mentioned?
➢ ABS-CBN filed a complaint against Willie Revillame for copyright infringement. it was stated that
Willie committed acts of plagiarisms for copying few segments, including the show setup, camera
angles, and lighting.
➢ The "Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines," or Republic Act 8293, is a comprehensive law
that regulates intellectual property rights in the nation. It addresses a number of intellectual
property-related topics, such as copyright, trademarks, patents, and unfair competition.
➢ No specific section of RA 8293 is referenced in the context of the discussion about ABS-CBN and
Willie Revillame. The history and relationship between ABS-CBN and Willie Revillame are the main
topics of discussion, especially in view of their professional dealings and the issues that have
surrounded them.
➢ However, relevant provisions of RA 8293 could be used if the discussion went into particular
intellectual property matters pertaining to their work, such copyright infringement or the
protection of creative results. These might include provisions related to the rights of copyright
owners, limitations and exceptions to copyright, or remedies for copyright infringement.
SECTION 177. Copyright or Economic Rights. ‑ Subject to the provisions of Chapter VIII, copyright
or economic rights shall consist of the exclusive right to carry out, authorize or prevent the
following acts:
177.1. Reproduction of the work or substantial portion of the work;
177.2. Dramatization, translation, adaptation, abridgment, arrangement or other transformation
of the work;
177.3. The first public distribution of the original and each copy of the work by sale or other forms
of transfer of ownership;
177.4. Rental of the original or a copy of an audiovisual or cinematographic work, a work
embodied in a sound recording, a computer program, a compilation of data and other materials
or a musical work in graphic form, irrespective of the ownership of the original or the copy which
is the subject of the rental; (n)
177.5. Public display of the original or a copy of the work;
177.6. Public performance of the work; and
177.7. Other communication to the public of the work. (Sec. 5, P.D. No. 49a)
What is the court ruling/verdict?
➢ According to businessmirror article page by Joel R. San Juan in August 15, 2023, THE Supreme
Court (SC) has reversed the ruling issued by the Court of Appeals (CA) reviving the over P1 billion
compulsory counterclaims that television giant ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation sought against
former Wowowee host Willie Revillame for breaching his contract with the network in 2010.
Who wins?
➢ The CA ruled in favor of ABC Corporation and Espinosa, finding that ABS-CBN engaged in forum
shopping for filing two suits: (1) its Compulsory Counterclaim in Civil Case No. Q-10-67770 pending
before the Quezon City RTC and (2) the Complaint for Copyright Infringement pending before the
Makati RTC. The CA found that both cases are based on one cause of action: Revillame’s alleged
breach of its contract with ABS-CBN. The Supreme Court would later affirm the CA’s ruling in a
separate case (G.R. No. 201664).
➢ Following the CA’s dismissal of the copyright infringement complaint, ABC Corporation filed a
Motion to Dismiss ABS-CBN’s Compulsory Counterclaim in Civil Case No. Q-10-67770. The RTC
granted the motion, prompting ABS-CBN to appeal to the CA, which ruled in its favor and
reinstated its Compulsory Counterclaim. This was challenged by Revillame in his present petition
before the Supreme Court.
➢ The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Revillame and ordered the dismissal of ABS-CBN’s
Compulsory Counterclaim in Civil Case No. Q-10-67770.