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COLUMBIA PICTURES V. CA
Date: 28 August 1996 GR Number: 110318 Ponente:
Regalado, J.


Article 3, Section 2 Hazel Dee
Petitioners: Respondents:
Columbia Pictures, Inc., Orion Pictures Court Of Appeals, Sunshine Home Video, Inc.
Corporation, Paramount Pictures And Danilo A. Pelindario
Corporation, Twentieth Century Fox Film
Corporation, United Artists Corporation,
Universal City Studios, Inc., The Walt Disney
Company, And Warner Brothers, Inc

Doctrine:
The issuance of search of warrant was legal and valid on the grounds that judicial
interpretation of a statute constitutes part of the law as of the date it was originally passed.
Facts:
Complainants thru counsel lodged a formal complaint with the National Bureau of Investigation
for violation of PD No. 49, as amended, and sought its assistance in their anti-film piracy drive.
On November 14, 1987, NBI Senior Agent Lauro C. Reyes applied for a search warrant with the
court a quo against Sunshine seeking the seizure of pirated video tapes of copyrighted
films and equipment and paraphernalia used or intended to be used in the unlawful exhibition,
showing, reproduction, sale# lease or disposition of videograms tapes in the premises above
described. The search warrant was served at about 1:45 p.m. on December 14, 1987 to
Sunshine and/or their representatives. NBI Agents found and seized various video tapes of duly
copyrighted motion pictures/films owned or exclusively distributed by private complainants
and machines, equipment, television sets, paraphernalia, materials# accessories all of which
were included in the receipt for properties accomplished by the raiding team.On December 16,
1987, a Return of Search Warrant was filed with the Court. A Motion to Lift the Order ofSearch
Warrant was filed but was later denied for lack of merit A Motion for reconsideration of the
Order of denial was filed. The Court a quo granted the said motion for reconsideration.
Petitioners appealed to the Court of Appeals. However, the appeal was dismissed and the
motion for reconsideration was denied.
Issue/s: Ruling:
Whether or not the issuance of search warrant to Sunshine was legal and Yes
valid


Rationale/Analysis/Legal Basis:
The issuance of search of warrant to Sunshine was legal and valid on the grounds
that judicial interpretation of a statute constitutes part of the law as of the date it was
originally passed. Hence, the lower court did not commit any error nor did it fail to
comply with and legal requirement in the issuance of search warrant even though
copyright infringement cases were only promulgated on 19 August 1988, six months after the
issuance of the search warrant.