Legal Clash Erupts As Zee Files $3 Million Case Against Reliance-Disney Venture
Legal Clash Erupts As Zee Files $3 Million Case Against Reliance-Disney Venture
ZEEL has filed a New Delhi lawsuit against the Reliance-Disney JV JioStar, accusing hundreds of unlicensed uses of Zee's music after licensing deals expired, seeking $3 million in damages.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has sued the Reliance-Disney joint venture for using its copyrighted music without permission after the licensing agreements expired. Court documents reviewed by Reuters show that the lawsuit was filed in New Delhi on April 14. ZEEL is seeking $3 million in damages.
ZEEL argues that the joint venture, now known as JioStar, used its music content across various TV channels and the streaming platform without valid licenses. Zee states that its works were used at least 50 times after the agreements lapsed in 2024 and 2025. The contracts were not renewed because of commercial disagreements. ZEEL has referred to this unauthorized use as copyright infringement and is asking the court to stop any ongoing use of its content.
Zee and the Reliance-Disney venture have not commented on the lawsuit. This dispute marks the latest conflict between Zee and JioStar, the $8.5 billion media joint venture formed by Reliance Industries and Disney in 2024. It highlights increasing tensions over content rights as India's media industry rapidly consolidates.
The issue was briefly addressed in court on Tuesday. The judge instructed JioStar to halt any further violations of Zee's content and to take action within 15 days, according to a source familiar with the case who spoke to Reuters. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for July 23.
JioStar operates the JioHotstar streaming service, which has around 500 million monthly users and a vast library of TV shows and sports rights. Zee, an established player in Indian media, holds rights to over 19,450 songs in 17 languages.
Additionally, the dispute is related to arbitration proceedings in London, where Reliance is claiming $1 billion in damages from Zee over a canceled cricket licensing deal. Zee denies any wrongdoing and is challenging the claim.
In another development, Zee Entertainment Enterprises has also filed a copyright infringement case against FSN E-Commerce Ventures, the owner of beauty and fashion retailer Nykaa, in the Delhi High Court. Zee alleges that FSN E-Commerce used its songs in around a dozen Instagram reels for brand promotion without obtaining permission or licenses.
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