The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that letting customers listen to a short 20-second sample of a ringtone before buying it does not violate copyright laws as it dismissed the complaint of the Filipino Society of Composers and Publishers (Filscap) against Wolfpac Communications for copyright infringement and damages.
To craft a more equitable copyright system, the Supreme Court (SC) has recommended that exemptions for small businesses be considered by Congress in addition to the existing limitations in copyright infringement cases under the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (IP Code).
The Supreme Court held that a radio reception creates a performance separate from the broadcast, adding that the transmittal of radio music through loudspeakers to enhance profit is not analogous to fair use.
