FACTS:
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Petitioner Blue Cross Insurance, Inc. and Blue Cross Health Care, Inc. fled a Petition or Cancellation seeking the cancellation o Certifcate o egistration egistration o the ser!ice "ark #B$%& C'SS( or distri)ution o hos*ital care on *re-*a+"ent fnancing )asis issued in the na"e o res*ondentsa**ellee Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. In their *etition or cancellation, herein *etitioner-a**ellants *etitioner-a**ellants alleged that: on ul+ , /01 Blue Cross Insurance, Inc. 2as registered as a )usiness na"e 2ith the Bureau o 3o"estic Trade, 3e*art"ent o Trade and Industr+ 43TI56 that its certifcate o registration o )usiness na"e 2as rene2ed on August , //6 that as earl+ as une 7, /01 Blue Cross Insurance, Inc. had ado*ted and co""erciall+ used the "ark #Blue Cross( as *art o its cor*orate na"e8trade na"e6 that to address the *u)lic de"and or health care "aintenance ser!ices, the incor*orators o Blue Cross Insurance, Inc. or"ed Blue Cross C ross Health Care, Inc. 2hich 2as registered 2ith the Securities and &9change Co""ission 4S&C5 on ul+ , /0 and registered as a )usiness na"e 2ith the 3TI on August 7, /06 that Blue Cross Health Care, Inc. continued to co""erciall+ use the "ark #B$%& #B$ %& C'SS( as *art o its cor*orate na"e8trade na"e since its registration 2ith the 3TI on ul+ , /0 u* to the *resent6 that )+ !irtue o their *rior ado*tion and co""ercial use o the "ark #B$%& #B$%& C'SS(, Blue Cross Insurance, Inc. and Blue Cross Health Care, Inc. had the e9clusi!e title to, and interest in the said ser!ice "ark or trade na"e.
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res*ondent-a**ellee Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association raised, )+ 2a+ o a;r"ati!e and8or s*ecial s *ecial deenses that: its *redecessor-in-interest, *redecessor-in-interest, the A"erican Hos*ital Association, 2as alread+ the o2ner o the "ark #Blue Cross( 2hich 2as registered registered in the Phili**ines on August , /7/ under Certifcate o egistration +ears or until Fe)ruar+ 7, /6 that registration nu")er 77=,=00 2as rene2ed or another > +ears or until Fe)ruar+ 7, //6 that on ul+ , /01 it 2as granted a ne2 Certifcate o egistration egistration )+ the Patents ';ce or the said ser!ice "ark6 that during the ft+ 47>5 +ears that it has )een used, the ser!ice "ark #B$%& C'SS( has achie!ed good2ill, a"e and a!ora)le re*utation 2orld2ide6 that the use )+ Blue Cross Insurance, Inc. and Blue Cross Health Care, Inc. o the said ser!ice "ark 2as 2ithout the consent and authori@ation o the res*ondent-a**ellee66 and that on arch 1, // it had fled a Petition res*ondent-a**ellee 2ith the S&C or the cancellation o the ser!ice na"e #B$%& C'SS( ro" the cor*orate na"e o Blue Cross Insurance, Inc. and Blue Cross Health Care, Inc.
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'n 0 3ece")er >>, Hon. &strellita B. A)elardo, the 3irector o the Bureau o $egal Aairs, IP', rendered the assailed 3ecision den+ing the *etitioner-a**ellants *etitioner-a**ellants *etition or cancellation. The 3irector held that that the !alidit+ o Certifcate o o egistration egistration ?70> 2hich 2as issued on ul+ , /07 enDo+s the *resu"*tion o !alidit+. !alidit+. The IP' ruled that 2hile Certifcate Certifcate o egistration egistration
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- Thus, this a**eal is fled. ISS%&S: - The *etitioner-a**ellants argue that dis"issing the a**eal on a "ere technicalit+ 2ithout considering the "erits o the case is gra!e a)use o discretion6 that the *resu"*tion o the !alidit+ o registration and o2nershi* o the "ark #B$%& C'SS( 2as de)unked )+ the nu"erous e!idence *resented )+ the *etitioner-a**ellants. - The+ underscore that the reEuire"ent o use is the ore"ost ele"ent, aside ro" registration, that should ha!e )een considered as regards the !alidit+ o registration and o2nershi* o the said "ark H&$3: The *etition is not i"*ressed 2ith "erit. P&TITI'< 3ISISS&3. ATI': - Section o the %nior" ules on A**eal states that: - Section . A**eal to the 3irector eneral. G The decisions or fnal orders o the Bureau 3irector shall )eco"e fnal and e9ecutor+ thirt+ 4?>5 da+s ater recei*t o a co*+ thereo )+ the *arties unless, 2ithin the sa"e *eriod, a "otion or reconsideration is fled 2ith the Bureau 3irector or an a**eal to the 3irector eneral has )een *erected6 Pro!ided, that onl+ one 45 "otion or reconsideration o the decision or order o the Bu reau 3irector shall )e allo2ed6 and, in case the motion for reconsideration is denied, the appellant or appellants has/have the balance of the period prescribed above within which to le the appeal. (Emphasis supplied) - hen the *etitioner-a**ellants recei!ed a co*+ o the 3ecision dated 0 3ece")er >> on 0 anuar+ >>0, the+ had until Fe)ruar+ >>0 2ithin 2hich to fle a "otion or reconsideration. Since Fe)ruar+ >>0 ell on a Sunda+, the a**eal should )e fled on the ensuing 2orking da+, that is, 0 Fe)ruar+ >>0. A total o thirt+ 4?>5 co"*lete da+s ha!e )een consu"ed. - Thus, as correctl+ ruled )+ the IP' 3irector eneral, 2hen the *etitionera**ellants recei!ed on 1 A*ril >>/ the resolution den+ing their "otion or reconsideration, the+ onl+ had one 45 da+ or until A*ril >>/ 2ithin 2hich to fle their a**eal "e"orandu". - ConseEuentl+, their a**eal "e"orandu" 2hich 2as fled on 0 a+ >>/ is ar in e9cess o the ?>-da+ *eriod or *erecting an a**eal. - The IP' 3irector eneral correctl+ dis"issed the a**eal outright as it 2as not fled 2ithin the *rescri)ed *eriod.
- The *etitioner-a**ellants underscore the need or actual use o the su)Dect -
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ser!ice "ark as a *rereEuisite, aside ro" registration, to the acEuisition o the right o o2nershi* o!er it. Against the e!idence *resented )+ the *etitioners-a**ellants, the res*ondent-a**ellee, aside ro" )eing a *rior registrant, in act *resented satisactor+ *roo o actual co""ercial use. 2e ado*t the fndings and conclusion o Hon. &strellita Beltran-A)elardo, ratiocinated in this 2ise: #the registrant enDo+s in its a!or the *resu"*tion o !alidit+ o registration and o2nershi* o!er the "ark #Blue Cross(. Section > *ro!ides: Section >. Certifcate o registration prima acie evidence o validity . - A certifcate o registration o a "ark or trade-na"e shall )e *ri"a acie e!idence o the !alidit+ o the registration, the registrants o2nershi* o the "ark or tradena"e, and o the registrants e9clusi!e right to use the sa"e in connection 2ith the goods, )usiness or
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ser!ices s*ecifed in the certifcate, su)Dect to an+ conditions and li"itations stated therein. In addition to this, *etitioners o2n e!idence re!eal that *rior to ul+ , /07, #Blue Cross( 2as alread+ registered in the na"e o A"erican Hos*ital Association 4es*ondent- registrants *redecessor-in-interest5 under Certifcate o egistration
