Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has filed a lawsuit against the Reliance-Disney joint venture in which it has alleging unauthorised use of its copyrighted music after licensing agreements expired. According to court documents seen by Reuters, the suit was filed in New Delhi on April 14 and it seeks $3 million in damages.
ZEEL claims that the JV, now operating as JioStar, used its music content across its TV channels and streaming platform without valid licences. Zee said that it works were used at least 50 times after agreements lapsed in 2024 and 2025 and were not renewed due to commercial disagreements. “The illegal exploitation thereof amounted to copyright infringement,” said ZEEL while urging the court to restrain any ongoing usage.
Zee and Reliance-Disney venture is yet to comment on the suit.
The dispute represents the newest clash between Zee and JioStar, the $8.5 billion media joint venture created by Reliance Industries and Disney in 2024. It underscores growing tensions over content rights as India's media sector undergoes rapid consolidation.
The issue surfaced briefly in court on Tuesday, with the judge ordering JioStar to prevent any additional violations of Zee's content and to act within 15 days, according to a source familiar with the proceedings who spoke to Reuters.
The follow-up hearing is set for July 23.
JioStar runs the JioHotstar streaming service, which boasts about 500 million monthly users and a massive catalogue of TV shows plus sports rights. Zee, a veteran Indian media player, holds rights to more than 19,450 songs in 17 languages.
The dispute also runs parallel to arbitration proceedings in London, where Reliance is seeking $1 billion in damages from Zee over a terminated cricket licensing deal. Zee has denied any wrongdoing and is contesting the claim.
Meanwhile, Zee Entertainment Enterprises has also filed a copyright violation case against FSN E-Commerce Ventures, the owner of beauty and fashion retailer Nykaa, in the Delhi High Court. Zee claimed that FSN E-Commerce had used the former's songs in brand promotion in about a dozen Instagram reels without seeking permission or licensing.