If Iron Mountain made a deal with PBS-affiliate, they'd be breaking the terms of the contract with their customer (the fact it is defunct is just an asterisk). If you were an Iron Mountain client and one of your customers made an end run around you to go directly to Iron Mountain because they refused to pay your bill, you'd be pissed at Iron Mountain.

By solving this as they have done, Iron Mountain can assure other clients they will not just let a third person circumvent their clients. They can now say they only did it by a court order even if they were more than willing to accept the asterisk and do it on principle. Everyone is happy. Everyone is whole.

Thats my impression too. Iron mountain is doing exactly what I would want if I had data with them.

If you are wharehousing data, you dont just let your customer's customer come in, look around, and take whatever they want. Even if they have a sob story.

You ask for a court order with specifics.