Walt Disney joined Twenty-First Century Fox on Wednesday in imploring the judge hearing AT&T’s antitrust case to strengthen an order aimed at mask its data private if it is used at trial next year.
Disney and Fox set up given data to the Justice Department that is being used to develop a case against AT&T’s bid to buy Time Warner. The companies say they fear that number ones with AT&T, which owns satellite TV provider DirecTV, could inadvertently come to access to it during the trial.
The government sued last month to shut off the $85.4 billion acquisition, saying the deal could lead to drunk prices for rivals and pay-TV subscribers while hampering the development of online video. The shot is set to begin on March 19.
“The complex and competitive business relationships between Fox and defendants that convey Fox wary of disclosing sensitive information in this lawsuit are nearly twin to those between TWDC (the Walt Disney Co.) and defendants,” Disney held in its request.
Disney licenses its content to cable television companies and clashes with Time Warner in creating content.
Judge Richard Leon, who is agreeing the case at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, had given access to hush-hush information to the court, Justice Department lawyers and staff, service providers and AT&T and Habits Warner’s outside counsel.
Disney said that it was making the unaltered request made previously by Fox.
Fox had asked for permission to withhold certain quarrelsome information if it decided it was not relevant. It also wanted AT&T and Time Warner to be influential Fox who will access the information and requested that any lawyer who handles the facts be barred from working on matters involving Fox without their agreement for two years.