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Payment kiosk firm wins infringement case

October 10, 2023 Edd Reyes 302 views

JUSTICE had been served to a payment kiosk firm in its infringement and unfair competition case against another company following the decision rendered by the Paranaque City Regional Trial Court (RTC).

In a 34-page decision dated September 26, but was released to the media on Monday, Judge Noemi Balitaan of Paranaque RTC Branch 258, ordered the Electronic Transfer and Advance Processing Inc. (E-TAP), as well as Perservando Hernandez, to pay the Manila Express Payment System (MEPS) the amount of P3 million for exemplary damages and P200,000 attorney’s fees.

The court also ordered E-TAP to pay the cost of the suit.

In its decision, the court said the E-TAP had unlawfully copied the MEPS registered and patented system used in its franchising, distribution, and trading.

The MEPS in its complaint said the business process of E-TAP through its automated payment machine Pay and Go violated their registration.

In its ruling, Judge Balitaan said that based on the statements made under oath by witnesses and physical evidence, it is clear that the E-TAP machine was the same as the patented utility model of MEPS, only with different markings.

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