Fox and Warner Bros.'s battle over the rights to Watchmen took stepped toward resolution Tuesday when the federal judge presiding over the dispute set a January 6 trial date for the case, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

With a March release date looming, U.S. District Court Judge Gary Allen Feess said Fox should forgo any attempt to get a preliminary injunction against Warners to stop the release of the film because the issues were far too complex to be resolved on an interim basis, sources said.

Instead, Feess told both sides to start building a factual record and start expedited discovery and depositions immediately.

Fox still could ask Feess to permanently enjoin Warners from releasing the film following the discovery phase.

Warners is set to release Zack Snyder's big-screen adaptation of the Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons comic series March 6.

At issue is whether Fox still holds the rights to Watchmen. The studio sued Warners in February for copyright infringement and interference with its contract rights under a 1991 agreement between Fox and Largo Entertainment producer Larry Gordon.

Under that deal, Fox "quitclaimed" its right to Watchmen to Largo, with the understanding that if the production company proceeded with making a big-screen version, then the movie would be distributed by Fox. It later negotiated a "turnaround notice" with Gordon that established a buyout formula for the studio if Gordon wanted to buy out Fox's rights. But, according to Fox, Gordon failed to follow that deal.

Gordon negotiated a quitclaim contract with Warners in 2006, which it claims gave them the rights to Watchmen. But Fox contends it retains the rights because of Gordon's failure to buy out the studio's rights. Warners said Fox gave up its rights in 1991.

Watchmen was released March 6th, 2009 and stars Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, Matt Frewer. The film is directed by Zack Snyder.