Qatar – Al Jazeera-AT&T lawsuit to remain under wraps during appeal

ACCORDING to the newswire Reuters, a legal fight over AT&T Inc’s refusal to carry the US news channel of Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera can remain under wraps for now, despite a ruling by a Delaware state judge lifting the secrecy in the case. 

Judge Sam Glasscock approved on Wednesday a stipulation allowing the case to remain under seal while Al Jazeera appeals his previous ruling in favour of news organisations that wanted the case in the open. 

The lawsuit stems from AT&T’s refusal to carry a news channel launched by Al Jazeera in the United States in August. Al Jazeera sued AT&T in Delaware’s Court of Chancery, saying AT&T had broken and wrongfully terminated their contract. 

Both sides said the case should be kept secret, arguing that making such information public would hurt their negotiations with other channels and cable companies. The Associated Press, Bloomberg News and others protested the extensive use of confidential filings in the lawsuit, and Glasscock ordered the case unsealed on Monday. 

The stipulation approved by Glasscock will keep the filings confidential to protect Al Jazeera should it be successful as it appeals his previous order to Delaware’s Supreme Court. The appeal could take a year before it is heard and decided.