At this rate, by the time Ofcom and British Sky Broadcasting conclude their epic battle of wills over pay television, we will all be able to teleport to work and the outcome will be transmitted live to our ultra-high-definition holographic wrist-TVs.

Sky’s determination to challenge the regulator – “its approach, analysis and conclusions” – is matched only by Ofcom’s resolve to screw down every rattling clause or loose assumption in its report in order to see off that challenge. That is why two years has passed since the inquiry opened and one of the original complainants, Setanta, has breathed its last with the finish line not even in sight.