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Zee Entertainment<\/strong> has sued JioStar<\/strong>, the joint venture formed by Reliance Industries<\/strong> and The Walt Disney Company<\/strong>, alleging that the entity used Zee<\/strong>\u2018s copyrighted music after licensing agreements had expired.<\/p>\n That\u2019s according to Reuters<\/em>, which reported<\/a> on Wednesday (May 6) that Zee<\/strong> is seeking $3 million<\/strong> in damages over what it alleges was the unauthorized use of works from its music division on JioStar<\/strong>\u2018s streaming platform and TV channels.<\/p>\n The lawsuit was filed in New Delhi<\/strong> and marks the latest legal clash between Zee<\/strong> and the group formed from Reliance<\/strong> and Disney<\/strong>\u2018s $8.5 billion<\/strong> merger in 2024<\/strong>, according to Reuters<\/em>.<\/p>\n According to the court documents reviewed by Reuters<\/em>, Zee<\/strong>\u2018s lawsuit, filed on April 14, alleges that the Reliance<\/strong>\u2013Disney<\/strong> venture used its music at least 50<\/strong> times after certain licensing agreements expired in 2024<\/strong> and 2025<\/strong> and were not renewed due to disagreements over commercial terms.<\/p>\n \u201cThe illegal exploitation thereof amounted to copyright infringement,\u201d Zee<\/strong> said in the filing, according to Reuters<\/em>, asking the court to stop any ongoing infringements of its music works.<\/p>\n Both Zee<\/strong> and JioStar<\/strong> declined to comment, Reuters<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n JioStar<\/strong> operates a library of thousands of shows and broadcast rights for top sporting events across its TV channels and its streaming app, JioHotstar<\/strong>, which according to Reuters<\/em> is India\u2019s largest streaming platform with approximately 500 million<\/strong> monthly users.<\/p>\n Zee<\/strong>, described by Reuters<\/em> as one of India\u2019s oldest media groups, says it owns a catalog of more than 19,450<\/strong> songs in 17<\/strong> languages.<\/p>\n Zee Music<\/strong>\u2018s catalog was at the center of a licensing dispute with Spotify<\/a><\/strong> in 2023<\/strong>, which saw the label\u2019s music removed from the streaming platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to Reuters<\/em>, court papers show that Zee<\/strong> and JioStar<\/strong> have exchanged several letters and legal notices over the disputed use of music in recent months.<\/p>\n In December<\/strong>, JioStar<\/strong> told Zee<\/strong> it had \u201ctaken extensive steps to remove any infringing content across its portfolio,\u201d including legacy programming, the report said.<\/p>\n The two companies are also locked in a separate arbitration in London<\/strong>, where Reliance<\/strong> is seeking<\/a> around $1 billion<\/strong> in damages from Zee<\/strong> for exiting a cricket licensing deal in 2024<\/strong>, according to Reuters<\/em>.<\/p>\n Zee<\/strong> denies any wrongdoing and is contesting that demand, the report added.<\/p>\n The lawsuit against JioStar<\/strong> comes amid a broader push by Zee<\/strong> to enforce its music copyrights.<\/p>\n Reuters<\/em> also reported this week that Zee<\/strong> has separately sued fashion and beauty retailer Nykaa<\/strong>, alleging it used Zee<\/strong>\u2018s copyrighted songs in Instagram<\/a><\/strong> reels to promote products, and is seeking $210,000<\/strong> in damages in that case.<\/p>\n