44. TANDUA TANDUAY DISTILLERS, INC. VS. GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL, INC. (2009)
TANDUA TANDUAY Y DISTILLERS, DISTILLERS, INC., petitioner, petitioner, vs. GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL, INC., respondent. G.R. No. 164!4, A"#"st 14, !$$%. FACTS:
T&nd"&' T&nd"&' deve(oped & ne) #in prod"*t distin#"is+ed distin#"is+ed ' its s)eet s-e((, s-oot+ t&ste, &nd &ord&(e pri*e. T+e r&nd n&-e event"&((' *+osen /or t+e #in prod"*t )&s Giner& 0&pit&n )it+ t+e represent&tion o/ & revo("tion&r' 0&pit&n on +orse&* &s t+e do-in&nt /e&t"re o/ its (&e(. T&nd"&' T&nd"&' points o"t t+&t t+e (&e( desi#n o/ Giner& 0&pit&( in ter-s o/ *o(or s*+e-e, si2e &nd &rr&n#e-ent &rr&n#e-ent o/ te3t, &nd ot+er (&e( /e&t"res )ere pre*ise(' pre*ise(' se(e*ted to distin#"is+ distin#"is+ it /ro- t+e (e&din# #in r&nd in t+e +i(ippine -&ret, Giner& S&n Mi#"e(. T&nd"&' 5(ed & tr&de-&r &pp(i*&tion /or Giner& 0&pit&n )it+ t+e Inte((e*t"&( ropert' 7*e 8I9. A/ter )+i*+, T&nd"&' e#&n se((in# Giner& 0&pit&n in t+e L"2on &re&s &re&s in*("d in*("din# in# Metro Metro M&ni(&. M&ni(&. Event"&( Event"&((', (', T&nd"&' &nd"&' re*eived re*eived & (etter (etter /ro/ro- S&n Mi#"e( Mi#"e( in/or-i in/or-in# n# t+e /or-er /or-er to i--edi&te(' *e&se &nd desist /ro- "sin# t+e -&r Giner&. S&n Mi#"e( 5(ed & *o-p(&int /or tr&de-&r in/rin#e-ent, "n/&ir *o-petition &nd d&-&#es, )it+ &pp(i*&tions /or t+e iss"&n*e o/ & TR &nd & )rit o/ pre(i-in&r' in:"n*tion &#&inst T&nd"&' e/ore t+e RTC o/ M&nd&("'on#. 8Deve(op-ents in t+e tri&( *o"rt &nd t+e CA I +&ve (&id o"t in "((et /or- /or e&s' re&din#. T+e events *o"(d #et & (itt(e *on/"sin# /ro- +ere.9 T+e tri&( *o"rt *o"rt iss"ed & TR TR pro+iitin# pro+iitin# T&nd"&' /ro/ro- -&n"/&*t"rin#, -&n"/&*t"rin#, se((in# se((in# &nd &dvertisin# &dvertisin# Giner& Giner& 0&pit&n. 0&pit&n. T&nd"&' T&nd"&' 5(ed & petition /or *ertior&ri )it+ t+e CA &nd &n Ur#ent Motion to De/er In:"n*tion In:"n*tion ;e&rin# e/ore t+e tri&( *o"rt. Despite t+e -otion 5(ed ' S&n Mi#"e(, t+e tri&( *o"rt *ond"*ted +e&rin#s /or T&nd"&' to s+o) *&"se )+' no )rit o/ pre(i-in&r' in:"n*tion s+o"(d e iss"ed. T+e tri&( *o"rt *o"rt #r&nted S&n S&n Mi#"e(
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ISSUE:
>+et+er S&n Mi#"e( is entit(ed to t+e )rit o/ pre(i-in&r' in:"n*tion #r&nted ' t+e tri&( *o"rt &s &7r-ed ' t+e CA RULING:
No. 8T+e Co"rt de*ided to de&( on(' )it+ t+e ?"estioned )rit &nd not )it+ t+e -erits o/ t+e *&se pendin# e/ore t+e tri&( *o"rt. (e&se note t+&t )+&t )&s iss"ed ' t+e tri&( *o"rt )&s & )rit o/ pre(i-in&r' in:"n*tion. It +&d not 'et disposed o/ t+e iss"es on "n/&ir *o-petition &nd tr&de-&r in/rin#e-ent.9 S&n Mi#"e( *ontends t+&t Giner& *&n e &ppropri&ted &s & tr&de-&r, &nd t+ere )&s no error in t+e tri&( *o"rts provision&( provision&( r"(in# &sed on t+e eviden*e on re*ord. Ass"-in# t+&t Giner& is & #eneri* )ord )+i*+ is pros*ried to e re#istered &s & tr&de-&r "nder Se*tion 1!.18+9 o/ Rep"(i* A*t No. @!% or t+e Inte((e*t"&( ropert' Code 8I Code9, it *&n sti(( e &ppropri&ted &nd re#istered &s & tr&de-&r "nder Se*tion 1!.18:9 in re(&tion to Se*tion 1!.! o/ t+e I Code, *onsiderin# *onsiderin# t+&t Giner& is &(so & -&r )+i*+ desi#n&tes t+e ind o/ #oods prod"*ed prod"*ed ' S&n Mi#"e(. S&n Mi#"e( &((e#es t+&t &(t+o"#+ Giner&, t+e Sp&nis+ )ord /or #in, -&' e & ter- ori#in&((' in*&p&(e o/ e3*("sive &ppropri&tion, :"rispr"den*e :"rispr"den*e di*t&tes t+&t t+e -&r +&s e*o-e distin*tive o/ S&n Mi#"e(s prod"*ts d"e to its s"st&nti&((' e3*("sive e3*("sive &nd *ontin"o"s "se &s t+e do-in&nt /e&t"re o/ S&n Mi#"e(s tr&de-&rs sin*e 1@4. ;en*e, S&n Mi#"e( is entit(ed to & 5ndin# t+&t t+e -&r is dee-ed to +&ve &*?"ired & se*ond&r' -e&nin#. S&n Mi#"e( st&tes t+&t T&nd"&' /&i(ed to present &n' eviden*e to disprove its *(&i-s t+"s, t+ere is no &sis to set &side t+e #r&nt o/ t+e TR &nd )rit o/ pre(i-in&r' in:"n*tion. S&n Mi#"e( st&tes t+&t its dis*(&i-er o/ t+e )ord Giner& in so-e o/ its re#istered -&rs is )it+o"t pre:"di*e to, &nd did not &e*t, its e3istin# or /"t"re ri#+ts over Giner&, espe*i&((' sin*e Giner& +&s de-onstr&(' de-onstr&(' e*o-e distin*tive o/ S&n Mi#"e(s prod"*ts. T&nd"&' T&nd"&' &sserts t+&t not one o/ t+e re?"isites re?"isites /or t+e v&(id iss"&n*e o/ & pre(i-in&r' pre(i-in&r' in:"n*tion is present present in t+is *&se. T&nd"&' T&nd"&' &r#"es t+&t S&n Mi#"e( *&nnot *(&i- t+e e3*("sive e3*("sive ri#+t to "se t+e #eneri* )ord Giner& /or its #in prod"*ts &sed on its re#istr&tion o/ t+e *o-posite -&rs Giner& S&n Mi#"e(, Giner& S. Mi#"e( 6, &nd L& Tonde& C(i? Giner& Mi3, e*&"se in &(( o/ t+ese re#istr&tions, re#istr&tions, S&n Mi#"e( dis*(&i-ed dis*(&i-ed &n' e3*("sive ri#+t to "se t+e nonre#istr&(e nonre#istr&(e )ord Giner& /or #in prod"*ts. T&nd"&' T&nd"&' e3p(&ins t+&t t+e )ord Giner&, )+i*+ is dis*(&i-ed ' S&n Mi#"e( in &(( o/ its re#istered re#istered tr&de-&rs, tr&de-&rs, is &n "nre#istr&(e *o-ponent o/ t+e *o-posite -&r Giner& S&n Mi#"e(. T&nd"&' &r#"es t+&t t+is dis*(&i-er /"rt+er -e&ns t+&t S&n Mi#"e( does not +&ve &n e3*("sive ri#+t to t+e #eneri* )ord Giner&. T&nd"&' st&tes t+&t t+e )ord Giner& does not indi*&te t+e so"r*e o/ t+e prod"*t, "t it is -ere(' des*riptive o/ t+e n&-e o/ t+e prod"*t itse(/ &nd not t+e -&n"/&*t"rer t+ereo/.
T&nd"&' s"-its t+&t it +&s een prod"*in# #in prod"*ts "nder t+e r&nd n&-es Giner& 6, Giner& M&t&dor, &nd Giner& Toro )it+o"t &n' *o-p(&int /ro- S&n Mi#"e(. T&nd"&' &((e#es t+&t S&n Mi#"e( +&s not 5(ed &n' *o-p(&int &#&inst ot+er (i?"or *o-p&nies )+i*+ "se Giner& &s p&rt o/ t+eir r&nd n&-es s"*+ &s Giner& ino', & re#istered tr&de-&r o/ >een#ton Disti((er' Giner& residente &nd Giner& L"2on &s re#istered tr&de-&rs o/ >&s+in#ton Disti((er', In*. &nd Giner& L"*' Nine &nd Giner& S&nti&#o &s re#istered tr&de-&rs o/ Disti(eri& Li-t"&*o Co., In*. T&nd"&' *(&i-s t+&t t+e e3isten*e o/ t+ese prod"*ts, t+e "se &nd re#istr&tion o/ t+e )ord Giner& ' ot+er *o-p&nies &s p&rt o/ t+eir tr&de-&rs e(ie S&n Mi#"e(s *(&i- t+&t it +&s een t+e e3*("sive "ser o/ t+e tr&de-&r *ont&inin# t+e )ord Giner& sin*e 1@4. T&nd"&' &r#"es t+&t e/ore & *o"rt *&n iss"e & )rit o/ pre(i-in&r' in:"n*tion, it is i-per&tive t+&t S&n Mi#"e( -"st est&(is+ & *(e&r &nd "n-ist&&(e ri#+t t+&t is entit(ed to prote*tion. S&n Mi#"e(s &((e#ed e3*("sive ri#+t to "se t+e #eneri* )ord Giner& is /&r /ro- *(e&r &nd "n-ist&&(e. T&nd"&' *(&i-s t+&t t+e in:"n*tion iss"ed ' t+e tri&( *o"rt )&s &sed on its pre-&t"re *on*("sion t+&t Giner& 0&pit&n in/rin#es Giner& S&n Mi#"e(. T+e CA "p+e(d t+e tri&( *o"rte +o(d t+&t t+e CA *o--itted & reversi(e error. T+e iss"e in t+e -&in *&se is S&n Mi#"e(s ri#+t to t+e e3*("sive "se o/ t+e -&r Giner&. T+e t)o tr&de-&rs Giner& S&n Mi#"e( &nd Giner& 0&pit&n &pp&rent(' dier )+en t&en &s & )+o(e, "t &**ordin# to S&n Mi#"e(, T&nd"&' &ppropri&tes t+e )ord Giner& )+i*+ is & do-in&nt /e&t"re o/ S&n Mi#"e(s -&r. It is not evident )+et+er S&n Mi#"e( +&s t+e ri#+t to prevent ot+er "siness entities /ro- "sin# t+e )ord Giner&. It is not sett(ed 819 )+et+er Giner& is indeed t+e do-in&nt /e&t"re o/ t+e tr&de-&rs, 8!9 )+et+er it is & #eneri* )ord t+&t &s & -&tter o/ (&) *&nnot e &ppropri&ted, or 89 )+et+er it is -ere(' & des*riptive )ord t+&t -&' e &ppropri&ted &sed on t+e /&*t t+&t it +&s &*?"ired & se*ond&r' -e&nin#. T+e iss"e t+&t -"st e reso(ved ' t+e tri&( *o"rt is )+et+er & )ord (ie Giner& *&n &*?"ire & se*ond&r' -e&nin# /or #in prod"*ts so &s to pro+iit t+e "se o/ t+e )ord Giner& ' ot+er #in -&n"/&*t"rers or se((ers. T+is oi(s do)n to )+et+er t+e )ord Giner& is & #eneri* -&r t+&t is in*&p&(e o/ &ppropri&tion ' #in -&n"/&*t"rers. In t+is *&se, & *(o"d o/ do"t e3ists over S&n Mi#"e(s e3*("sive ri#+t re(&tin# to t+e )ord Giner&. S&n Mi#"e(s *(&i- to t+e e3*("sive "se o/ t+e )ord Giner& is *(e&r(' sti(( in disp"te e*&"se o/ T&nd"&'s *(&i- t+&t it +&s, &s ot+ers +&ve, &(so re#istered t+e )ord Giner& /or its #in prod"*ts. T+is iss"e *&n e reso(ved on(' &/ter & /"(((o)n tri&(. >e 5nd t+&t S&n Mi#"e(s ri#+t to in:"n*tive re(ie/ +&s not een *(e&r(' &nd "n-ist&&(' de-onstr&ted. T+e ri#+t to t+e e3*("sive "se o/ t+e )ord Giner& +&s 'et to e deter-ined in t+e -&in *&se. T+e tri&( *o"rts #r&nt o/ t+e )rit o/ pre(i-in&r' in:"n*tion in /&vor o/ S&n Mi#"e(, despite t+e (&* o/ & *(e&r &nd "n-ist&&(e ri#+t on its p&rt, *onstit"tes #r&ve &"se o/ dis*retion &-o"ntin# to (&* o/ :"risdi*tion. >e e(ieve t+&t t+e iss"ed )rit o/ pre(i-in&r' in:"n*tion, i/ &((o)ed, disposes o/ t+e *&se on t+e -erits &s it ee*tive(' en:oins t+e "se o/ t+e )ord #iner& )it+o"t t+e ene5t o/ & /"(((o)n tri&(.
