Donald Trump has dropped BBC Studios, the BBC’s commercial arm, from his $10 billion defamation lawsuit, while continuing his case against the British Broadcasting Corporation itself. The dispute concerns a Panorama documentary edit of Trump’s January 6 speech, and matters because it tests whether the broadcaster can be held liable in the US over editorial decisions made for a programme.

Court documents say the claims against BBC Studios were dismissed permanently, with each side covering its own costs and legal fees. Trump alleges the documentary misleadingly combined remarks made more than 50 minutes apart to suggest he encouraged an attack on the Capitol; the BBC has apologised for the edit but denies defamation and rejects paying compensation. The BBC also says the documentary was not shown in the US through the services cited in Trump’s complaint, while reports indicate the US government may consider joining the litigation.