MANILA, Philippines--Following the news that Rivermaya has parted ways with its manager Liza Nakpil, a controversy over who owns the Rivermaya trademark has started brewing.

A check with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) website shows that former manager Liza Nakpil has applied for the trademark “Rivermaya” on July 7, 2008 under the “Entertainment” classification of goods.

According to the IPO, the trademark application of Nakpil is “for updating,” which, according to intellectual property expert and lawyer Jun Rodriguez, indicates that the application is awaiting publication.

Meanwhile, the same search on the trademark "Riverymaya" produces another applicant, Mark Edward Escueta who is a member of the band. A closer look reveals that his application is still “pending.”

Escueta applied for trademark application on October 10, 2008, and has classified the trademark name "Rivermaya" under “clothing, footwear, headgear” and “entertainment.”

In all trademark applications, the rule of thumb is “first to file,” Rodriguez added.

As of this writing, officials at the Bureau of Trademarks of the IPO are unavailable for comment.