India’s JioStar, the TV and online entertainment venture of Reliance and Walt Disney, has initiated legal proceedings against Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. for alleged unauthorised broadcast of Bollywood films it has the rights to. The two media houses are already locked in a $1 billion arbitration in London over a collapsed cricket licensing deal in 2024.
In April, Zee had sued JioStar in a Delhi court for unauthorised use of its copyrighted music. In an apparent tit-for-tat move, JioStar filed a case on May 4 at the Delhi high court Legal Services Committee, challenging Zee’s broadcast of some Bollywood films last year. JioStar said, the rights of the films at the time vested with the Reliance-led entity. The Legal Services Committee provides a dispute resolution mechanism aimed at amicable settlements. If it is unresolved, JioStar could escalate the case to a court.
According to the legal papers, JioStar has alleged that Zee telecast 12 distinct films around 20 times, including some blockbusters like Deewaar, Tridev and Dangal. It claimed that Zee was “a habitual infringer”.
The Committee has asked Zee to appear before it on May 25, adding that failure to do so would be considered a refusal to participate in the mediation.
In the music case filed in April, Zee is seeking $3 million from JioStar for allegedly using its music at least 50 times after certain licensing agreements expired. Reportedly, JioStar is likely to seek upwards of Rs. 25 crore ($2.61 million) for alleged infringement of its rights to the Bollywood films, though a number is yet to be finalised.
The Bollywood film case reached the court committee stage after the two sides exchanged more than a dozen legal notices and letters starting February 2025, documents show. Zee said, the broadcasts were “inadvertent and unintentional” and it would exercise due caution, but declined any liability for damages that Reliance was seeking. As regards Dangal, Zee denied any wrongdoing, and argued, it had permission from the production house to broadcast the movie.
