Judge Rules for AP in Copyright Dispute A federal judge has ruled for The Associated Press in its lawsuit challenging the use of story excerpts by Meltwater U.S. Holdings Inc. and its Meltwater News Service. The AP sued the company that monitors the media for corporate customers last year, alleging that it copies AP content and sells it to clients without paying AP licensing fees. U.S. District Judge Denise Cote announced her decision Wednesday, but its details were not immediately released publicly. She said in an order that the AP's request for a decision in its favor prior to trial had been granted, "with one exception" that she did not specify. Laura Malone, AP's interim general counsel, said in a statement: "We have not seen the entire opinion yet, but we are thrilled with the decision." Meltwater lawyers did not immediately comment.