The screening of Disney's Moana 2 to the public before Christmas at an event organised by South Pacific Broadband Limited has not gone down well with Apollo Cinemas.

The cinema has reported the screening which they believe was a breach of copyright laws.

According to Achatz Ott of Appollo Cinemas, this was a serious matter.

“As a licensed cinema, we take this issue very seriously and have done our due diligence by reporting the unauthorized screenings to the Ministry of Justice, as they are the appropriate authority to address such concerns,” he said.

“We trust in the Ministry’s ability to uphold intellectual property laws and take the necessary steps to resolve this matter. 

"Our focus remains on providing a quality and legal cinematic experience to the public while supporting the creative industry and Samoa’s economy.”

The company that organised the event responded to questions from the Samoa Observer.

Marlo Stivers of South Pacific Broadband did not deny screening the movie.

“On the 24th, South Pacific Broadband Co. Ltd. organised a free movie night for the public in response to requests for "Moana 2." This film was screened at 9 PM and concluded at 11 pm,” said Marlo Stivers.

“The last movie that night was "The Three Stooges."  If there were to be a fine for screening a free movie for the public to be entertained on Christmas Eve, we would be happy to pay the fee. 

“ I'm sure the public appreciated our initiatives, and we look forward to serving them in the future by working with Apollo Cinema in Samoa with proper planning and agreements to ensure revenue is earned by the Cinema if we choose to sell tickets at any future events."