Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 26: Zee Entertainment has asked the Delhi High Court to start contempt proceedings against JioStar. It alleges its music was used despite a May injunction. JioStar has earlier called such use unintentional and residual.
Zee Entertainment has asked the Delhi High Court to begin contempt proceedings against JioStar. The move escalates a months long copyright fight between two rivals in Indian entertainment.
Zee alleges JioStar kept using its copyrighted music after the court barred such use. In a filing dated September 21, Zee described the alleged conduct as “wilful disobedience”. The court has not ruled on whether any contempt occurred.
JioStar is the joint venture formed from Reliance and Disney’s Indian media businesses. It declined to comment on the latest filing.
From damages claim to court order
The dispute began in April. Zee then sought about $3 million in damages from JioStar. Its lawsuit cited 50 alleged copyright violations involving material from its music division.
In May, the Delhi High Court granted Zee an injunction. The order barred JioStar from using, publishing, broadcasting, streaming or uploading Zee’s licensed works.
An injunction is a court order that restricts certain conduct while a case continues. It does not decide who ultimately wins the dispute.
The contempt application marks a separate stage in the conflict. The original lawsuit concerns licensing and damages. The new application asks whether a court order itself was obeyed.
Six instances, two readings
Zee’s latest filing cites six alleged instances between May and July. It says these show continued use of its copyrighted works after the injunction. The filing accuses JioStar of actively and unlawfully exploiting the material.
JioStar’s lawyers have taken a different view in earlier hearings. They told the court any infringements were “unintentional” and “purely residual in nature”.
In May, the company said it had removed a substantial volume of Zee content. That removal followed the expiry of its licensing agreements.
The two positions frame the question the court must now weigh. Zee sees deliberate non-compliance. JioStar’s earlier account points to leftover content from a large removal exercise.
Why content rights matter more now
JioStar emerged from an $8.5 billion merger of Reliance and Disney’s Indian assets in 2024. The deal combined major television channels, streaming platforms and entertainment libraries.
It created India’s largest media and entertainment company. Zee, one of the country’s oldest broadcasters, is a smaller rival.
That scale has reshaped India’s media landscape. Rights to films, television shows, music and sports now drive platform strategy. They influence subscriber growth, advertising reach and how services stand apart.
Music is a less visible but steady part of that mix. Songs appear across films, serials, promotions and short digital clips.
As groups grow larger, legacy licences and overlapping libraries become harder to untangle. When licences expire, content must be traced and removed across many platforms. Disputes over such material can therefore carry greater commercial weight.
The conflict is not one sided. The Reliance Disney venture has separately taken legal action against Zee. It alleged Zee broadcast popular Bollywood films without authorisation while JioStar held the rights. Those claims are distinct and remain for the courts to assess.
Court process continues
The court has sought JioStar’s response to the latest allegations, according to Reuters. The case is expected to be heard again in December.
For a consolidating industry, the case shows how closely rights compliance is now watched.
