Inside The Zee-JioStar Copyright Battle: Content Rights Become The New Flashpoint

Zee Entertainment has asked the Delhi High Court to initiate contempt proceedings against JioStar, alleging the Reliance-Disney joint venture continued using Zee’s copyrighted music despite a court injunction barring such use, according to a legal filing reported by Reuters.

The latest move escalates a copyright dispute that began earlier this year and adds another layer to the increasingly competitive battle over content rights in India’s rapidly consolidating media and streaming market.

Zee Alleges Continued Copyright Violations

The filing, dated September 21, alleges that JioStar was guilty of “wilful disobedience” because it continued using Zee’s music and songs in programmes broadcast across its platforms despite the court order.

Zee cited six instances between May and July that it said demonstrated continued use of its copyrighted works by JioStar.

JioStar is “illegally and actively exploiting” the works, Zee said in the filing.

The copyright case was heard on Friday. A source aware of the details of the hearing told Reuters that the Delhi High Court asked JioStar to respond to Zee’s latest allegations. The case will next be heard in December.

The dispute began in April, when Zee sought $3 million in damages, citing 50 alleged copyright violations involving content from its music division.

In May, the Delhi High Court ordered JioStar not to “use, publish, broadcast, stream, upload” any of Zee’s licensed works.

JioStar’s lawyers had previously told the court that the alleged infringements were “unintentional” and “purely residual in nature”. The company said in May that it had removed a substantial volume of Zee content following the expiry of licensing agreements.

Why The Zee-JioStar Fight Matters

The dispute comes as India’s media industry undergoes significant consolidation, putting content libraries, broadcasting rights and streaming assets at the centre of competition.

JioStar was created from the $8.5 billion merger of Reliance and Disney’s Indian media assets in 2024. Backed by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, it has become India’s largest media and entertainment company, with a claimed 34.2% television share and hundreds of millions of streaming users.

Zee, one of India’s oldest broadcasters, has a smaller share of the television market at around 18%, but its music library includes more than 19,450 songs.

That makes intellectual property and content rights strategically important for both companies, particularly as broadcasters increasingly operate across television, streaming and digital platforms.

The Companies Are Already Fighting On Other Fronts

The latest copyright dispute is not the only legal battle between the two sides.

JioStar has previously challenged Zee over the alleged unauthorised telecast of Bollywood films whose rights it claimed at the time. The two companies are therefore already trading allegations over the use and ownership of valuable entertainment content.

A separate London arbitration over a collapsed cricket deal also remains unresolved, with Reliance seeking $1 billion.

The disputes illustrate how competition between India’s major media companies is increasingly extending beyond audience share and advertising to the underlying rights that determine what content can be broadcast or streamed.

For Zee, the latest contempt petition seeks to enforce the Delhi High Court’s May injunction and challenge what it alleges were subsequent violations.

For JioStar, the company now has to respond to Zee’s latest allegations before the court, while the broader dispute continues to play out against the backdrop of a rapidly consolidating Indian media market.