Zee Entertainment has sued JioStar, the joint venture formed by Reliance Industries and The Walt Disney Company, alleging that the entity used Zee‘s copyrighted music after licensing agreements had expired.
That’s according to Reuters, which reported on Wednesday (May 6) that Zee is seeking $3 million in damages over what it alleges was the unauthorized use of works from its music division on JioStar‘s streaming platform and TV channels.
The lawsuit was filed in New Delhi and marks the latest legal clash between Zee and the group formed from Reliance and Disney‘s $8.5 billion merger in 2024, according to Reuters.
According to the court documents reviewed by Reuters, Zee‘s lawsuit, filed on April 14, alleges that the Reliance–Disney venture used its music at least 50 times after certain licensing agreements expired in 2024 and 2025 and were not renewed due to disagreements over commercial terms.
“The illegal exploitation thereof amounted to copyright infringement,” Zee said in the filing, according to Reuters, asking the court to stop any ongoing infringements of its music works.
Both Zee and JioStar declined to comment, Reuters reported.
JioStar operates a library of thousands of shows and broadcast rights for top sporting events across its TV channels and its streaming app, JioHotstar, which according to Reuters is India’s largest streaming platform with approximately 500 million monthly users.
Zee, described by Reuters as one of India’s oldest media groups, says it owns a catalog of more than 19,450 songs in 17 languages.
Zee Music‘s catalog was at the center of a licensing dispute with Spotify in 2023, which saw the label’s music removed from the streaming platform.
According to Reuters, court papers show that Zee and JioStar have exchanged several letters and legal notices over the disputed use of music in recent months.
In December, JioStar told Zee it had “taken extensive steps to remove any infringing content across its portfolio,” including legacy programming, the report said.
The two companies are also locked in a separate arbitration in London, where Reliance is seeking around $1 billion in damages from Zee for exiting a cricket licensing deal in 2024, according to Reuters.
Zee denies any wrongdoing and is contesting that demand, the report added.
The lawsuit against JioStar comes amid a broader push by Zee to enforce its music copyrights.
Reuters also reported this week that Zee has separately sued fashion and beauty retailer Nykaa, alleging it used Zee‘s copyrighted songs in Instagram reels to promote products, and is seeking $210,000 in damages in that case.
JioStar was formed in November 2024 when Reliance‘s media business merged with Disney‘s Star India and Hotstar assets in a deal valued at $8.5 billion.
India added nearly 4 million paid music streaming subscriptions in 2025, taking its total to 14.4 million, according to a joint report from EY and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).Music Business Worldwide
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