HC asks Zee Ent to cite instances of JioStar violating copyright on music
This story was originally published at 19:57 IST on 25 September 2026
Register to read our real-time news.Informist, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026
NEW DELHI – The Delhi High Court Friday asked Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. to give specific instances of JioStar India Pvt. Ltd. violating copyright on music to the latter. JioStar is a joint venture of Reliance Industries Ltd. with Walt Disney. The court sought JioStar India's response on Zee Entertainment's application alleging that the former had continued to use its music despite an earlier court order directing it to stop using the copyrighted works.
JioStar's licence to use the sound recordings lapsed on Oct. 31, 2025. However, it continues to use the copyrighted music across its television channels and streaming platforms, said Zee Entertainment. JioStar cannot shift the burden to Zee Entertainment for detecting the copyright violation before taking it down as the former has full operational control over the contest broadcasted, said the petitioner.
JioStar said it had already removed a large portion of Zee Entertainment's music following the expiry of licence. However, certain legacy programmes still feature Zee Entertainment's music as background score. JioStar said that it used algorithm after algorithm to find whatever it could to remove Zee Entertainment's music. JioStar said that it was willing to sit down with Zee Entertainment and remove the remaining instances.
In May, the Delhi High Court had referred the music copyright infringement suit filed by Zee Entertainment against JioStar India for mediation. Zee Entertainment had sought $3 million in damages, alleging unauthorised use and exploitation of works from its music division on the Reliance-Disney streaming platform, JioStar India, and on some of its television channels.
In its order, the high court had said that if Zee Entertainment came across any of its licenced works, it should be communicated to JioStar India, upon which the latter will take it down. The high court had sought JioStar India's reply on Zee Entertainment's plea. In the meantime, the court had asked JioStar India not to use, publish, broadcast, stream, upload, or make copies of any licenced works in which Zee Entertainment holds an exclusive copyright.
Zee Entertainment said JioStar India was a licensee under agreements in 2017 and 2020, which have since expired. According to the agreements, upon expiry or termination, JioStar India was required to cease using or exploiting Zee Entertainment's licenced work in any manner.
After the expiry of the agreements, Zee Entertainment asked JioStar India to discontinue use of the licenced work. However, JioStar India has continued to host content involving the licenced work and has been removing it upon Zee Entertainment's identification. In November, JioStar India proposed a one-month extension as a precautionary measure to cover any inadvertent use of Zee Entertainment's licenced work on the platform. However, instances of alleged infringement of the licenced work by JioStar India have continued, Zee Entertainment said.
JioStar India said the acts were unintentional and purely residual in nature and the matter is a fit case for resolution through mediation. JioStar India said it has already removed substantial volumes of Zee Entertainment's licenced work from its platform, and that, given the nature of its platform, the company may not be in a position to identify each instance of the alleged infringement.
Friday, shares of Zee Entertainment Enterprises ended 1.7% lower at INR 76.87 and those of Reliance Industries closed 0.6% higher at INR 1,226.00 on the National Stock Exchange. End
US$1 = 95.81
Reported by Surya Tripathi
Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj
For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.
Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd. by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt. Ltd.
Informist Media Tel +91 (11) 4220-1000
Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com
© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2026. All rights reserved.
To read more please subscribe
Share this Story:
