The man convicted of distributing a pirated copy of Sione's Wedding has been sentenced to 300 hours of community service.

South Pacific Pictures' Chief Executive and producer of Sione's Wedding said:

The significant issue was the Court's determination that he was guilty of theft.

Clearly he did not have the resources to make good the damage that has been done, and in this case, a prison term would not be appropriate, given the particular circumstances. However, he has paid a very high price at a personal level.

There is no question that this case has raised the public awareness of the massive cost of piracy to the community as a whole.