The Will to Copy

Source: http://getitfromboy.net/willing-willie-copycat-of-wowowee-abs-cbn-sues-willie-again/

“Cong-GRAT-chuley-shons!!!” The country heard this from ABS-CBN’s Wowowee almost every noontime until that fateful day when Willie Revillame took an immediate leave from the show after the network failed to heed his “threats”. I assume every Filipino knows the basics of the story.

The juicier part (legally speaking, at least) came when ABS-CBN sued Willie for copyright infringement, asking for a whooping amount of P127 million, along with a prayer for a Temporary Restraining Order against the further airing of Willing-Willie, TV5’s primetime show which allegedly “deliberately and intentionally imitated Wowowee to steal the goodwill” that the latter has apparently built over the last 5 years. (Click here to see a related article)

Viewers and spectators alike have given interesting comments and opinions. Some say it was a desperate move on ABS-CBN’s part. Some say what is important is that Willie Revillame continues to make people happy. Some even say Willing-Willie is indeed a copycat of Wowowee but that there is no law against the copying of a format of a variety or game show.

At the end of the day though, the case will depend on how the trial court will interpret the case. It may treat Willing-Willie as a show composed of a group of “ideas” which are not considered copyrightable. But it may also ultimately entertain unfair competition in favor of ABS-CBN or simply treat it as copyright infringement.

Whatever the courts may decide, I sincerely hope for the proper utilization of our IPL provisions. It is actually high time for that as more and more intellectual property issues are born with the unstoppable development of ICT. We have great intellectual property provisions. It is just up to us to put it to good use.

- Phebean Belle A. Ramos, entry #6