Television
Zee turns up the volume on JioStar in $3m copyright row
India’s oldest broadcaster is suing the country’s biggest streamer, and the music is far from sweet
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment has taken Reliance-Disney’s JioStar to court in New Delhi, alleging the streaming giant helped itself to Zee’s music catalogue long after the licence agreements expired, and is now demanding $3 million for the privilege of listening without paying.
The 1,800-page lawsuit, filed on April 14 and reported by Reuters, alleges that JioStar used Zee’s copyrighted tracks at least 50 times after licensing deals lapsed in 2024 and 2025, when renewal talks broke down over money. Zee, which sits on a catalogue of over 19,450 songs in 17 languages, calls it straightforward copyright infringement. JioStar calls the damages demand “coercive.” The New Delhi court is calling it a case worth hearing.
The spat is the latest sour note in what has become a spectacularly acrimonious relationship. Zee and Reliance are already slugging it out in London arbitration, where Reliance is chasing $1 billion from Zee over its exit from a cricket licensing deal in 2024. Zee denies any wrongdoing there too.
JioStar, the streaming behemoth born of Reliance and Disney’s $8.5 billion merger in 2024, is no small fish. Its JioHotstar app commands roughly 500 million monthly users and broadcast rights to India’s most prized sporting events. Zee, one of India’s oldest media groups, may be the scrappier fighter, but it is swinging hard. It has also separately sued beauty retailer Nykaa, alleging it used Zee songs in Instagram reels to flog products, seeking $210,000 in damages.
In December, JioStar told Zee it had cleaned up its act, removing infringing content from its portfolio. But it also argued that “residual and passive archival hosting” did not constitute infringement, a position Zee’s lawyers greeted with all the warmth of a cease-and-desist letter. In March, JioStar said it “remains open to an amicable and commercially sensible solution.” The next court date is July 23.
Both companies declined to comment to Reuters.
For now, the judge has given JioStar 15 days to ensure no further infringement of Zee’s works. The music plays on, just not, if Zee has its way, for free.
