The Dish Network received a very nice 30th birthday present courtesy of the legal system on Thursday.
New York district judge George Daniels has handed the satellite provider a partial legal victory in its battle with Disney, denying Disney's preliminary motion to block Dish from offering Starz free to its customers for a year in celebration of its 30 years in business.
Also Read: "Starz and Disney Sue Dish Network Over Year-Long Giveaway"
Disney -- whose movies are aired on Starz -- claims in a suit filed in U.S. District Court in New York that Dish's promotional giveaway would endanger the value of both its movies and its relationships with other outlets that carry its content. In its suit, Disney says the giveaway "is in direct violation of plaintiffs' exclusive rights under federal copyright law, as well as the conditions and scope of [Buena Vista Pay Television]'s contract with Starz, in which BVPT granted Starz a limited license to distribute the copyrighted movies solely for exhibition via 'pay television.'"
The Dish Network isn't the free and clear just yet, however. While Daniels blocked Disney's preliminary motion to block the Starz giveaway, the case itself is still pending. And in the meantime, Starz has its own suit filed against Dish in Colorado, where Dish is based.
Disney, Starz and the Dish Network did not immediately return TheWrap's requests for comment.
