The Court of Appeal of Dusseldorf, Germany, confirmed SES Astra‘s acquisition of TV playout Center Astra Platform Services (APS), rejecting a complaint filed by satellite operator Eutelsat, SES Astra announced Oct. 18.

SES Astra reached an agreement with Germany’s Premiere in June 2004 to acquire APS, which provides broadcasting and encryption services for TV channels, and the Cartel Office approved the deal in December 2004. Eutelsat filed its complaint in early 2005.

“We are very satisfied that the court agrees with the arguments of the Cartel Office”, Ferdinand Kayser, president and CEO of SES Astra, said in a statement. “This court decision confirms the acquisition of APS by SES Astra. We will continue to grow APS as a neutral service provider for broadcasters and service suppliers.”