U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas denied without comment Aug. 22 a request by Echostar Communications Corp. to delay a lower court order that could force Echostar to stop rebroadcasting network TV shows.

Echostar was sued in 1998 by major commercial TV networks claiming that the rebroadcast of copyrighted programming by Echostar to individual consumers violated a federal law that states that satellite companies can carry network signals from other markets only if homes cannot receive signals through other means.

Echostar claims the injunction will nullify settlements reached with ABC, CBS and NBC. “The number of Echostar subscribers affected by this looming injunction is staggering,” the company said in its petition to the Supreme Court (06A198) seeking an injunction while it appeals the May decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Echostar has not yet reached an agreement with Fox and the National Association of Broadcasters. Fox is owned by News Corp., which also owns DirecTV.