iWorld
Hungama TV’s festive offer at Re 1 per month
MUMBAI: This festive season, Hungama TV will take fun, laughter and mischief up a notch with the Tyohaar ka Upahaar offer at only Re 1 per month with an aim to reach out to more kids.
“Our endeavour has been to make our stories and characters easily accessible to every household in the country. Hungama TV has always been a favourite amongst kids and with this promotional Tyohaar Ka Upahaar offer, we hope to reach out to more kids and have them subscribe and celebrate this festive season with us. This also will allow our trade partners to provide enhanced offering to their consumers,” said Star India president – distribution Gurjeev Singh Kapoor.
The channel launched an interesting campaign which highlights the significant role that animated characters play in the lives of kids today. Over the years, Shinchan has become one of the most popular characters and truly embodies the fun spirt of Hungama. Backed up by this insight, the campaign showcases a day in the life of a young and an avid Shinchan fan and centres around the everyday situations that make him miss his beloved companion. His friend then decides to step in and informs him that he can watch Shinchan on Hungama TV for only Re 1.
“The content on Hungama TV has always reflected our core philosophy of creating experiences that energizes kids with fun and laughter and our stories and characters, including Shinchan, truly celebrate childhood as seen in the campaign. Keeping with the festive spirit, we will also be bringing in more exciting shows that promise adventure, comedy and a fun-filled ride for our young viewers,” said Star India head – infotainment, English and kids Anuradha Aggarwal.
The channel has lined up a strong content with fresh programming all the way till December 2019. This includes movie premieres, specially curated blocks, new seasons and episodes across local animation as well as international shows. Hungama TV will be showcasing best of Hungama shows in curated block ‘Dabaang Diwali’ followed by the premieres of two Pokémon movies – ‘Pokémon Arceus Aur Jeevan Ka
Jewel’ and ’Pokemon Zoroark Mayajaal Ka Ustaad’. The channel will also celebrate Children’s Day with a programming special titled ‘The Chotay Ustaad’ and follow it up with movie festivals with ‘Shinchan’ films along with new episodes of ‘Selfie with Bajrangi’, ‘Shinchan’ and ‘Inspector Chingum’ – all in the coming festive season.
iWorld
Taylor Swift sued by Maren Wade over Showgirl trademark clash
Las Vegas performer claims hit album branding overshadows her long-held identity
MUMBAI: A high-profile trademark dispute is brewing in the entertainment world as Las Vegas performer Maren Wade has filed a lawsuit against global pop star Taylor Swift over the title of her latest album.
Filed on March 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the suit accuses Swift and UMG Recordings of trademark infringement, false designation and unfair competition. At the centre of the dispute is Swift’s chart-topping album The Life of a Showgirl, released in October 2025.
Wade argues that the album’s title and branding are confusingly similar to her long-established trademark Confessions of a Showgirl, which she has built since 2014. What began as a column in Las Vegas Weekly has since expanded into a touring stage show, podcast and book, with a federal trademark secured in 2015.
The complaint leans heavily on the concept of reverse confusion. Wade claims Swift’s global popularity has effectively drowned out her brand, leaving audiences to assume she is imitating the singer rather than the other way around. The lawsuit cites instances of fans using Wade’s trademarked phrase in connection with Swift’s album and search results increasingly pointing to Swift-related content.
A key element of the case involves the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which had already raised concerns. According to the filing, the office issued a partial refusal of Swift’s trademark application in late 2025, citing a likelihood of confusion due to shared phrasing and overlapping entertainment categories.
“They did not do so quietly,” the complaint notes, referring to the album’s rollout, which quickly extended into merchandise, labels and retail branding aimed at a similar audience.
Wade is seeking a permanent injunction to stop further use of the title, along with a share of profits, damages and legal costs. The stakes are high given the album’s commercial success, with over four million units sold in its first week in the United States alone.
Taylor Swift, known for her expansive intellectual property portfolio, operates through entities such as TAS Rights Management and Bravado, which manage her trademarks and global merchandising operations.
The outcome could hinge on whether the court sees the similarity as coincidence or confusion. For now, the case sets the stage for a legal showdown that may determine who truly owns the spotlight in the “showgirl” story.
