JioHotstar.com: Delhi Developer Demands Over Rs 1 Core for Domain; Jio Says Legal Action

JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar are reportedly planning a merger, with discussions around uniting their content on a single platform. The merged site could potentially be named “JioHotstar,” combining content from both brands. Anticipating this development, a Delhi-based developer purchased the domain “JioHotstar.com” ahead of the deal. The developer reached out to Reliance Industries, Jio’s parent company, expressing a willingness to sell the domain. In response, Reliance reportedly warned him of possible legal action.

The JioHotstar.com domain initially displayed a simple landing page with a message from the developer. The page stated that he bought the domain last year after first hearing rumours about the merger. “This led me to hypothesise that, since Sony and Zee were pursuing their own merger, Viacom 18 (owned by Reliance) is the only major player with sufficient resources to acquire Disney+ Hotstar. This reminded me of when Jio acquired the music streaming service Saavn, they rebranded it to JioSaavn, and changed the domain from Saavn.com to JioSaavn.com. I thought, "If they acquire Hotstar, they might rename it to JioHotstar.com." I checked for the domain, and it was available. I was excited, as I felt that if this happened, I could fund my goal of studying at Cambridge,” he wrote in a blogpost posted on JioHotstar.com.

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“In 2021, I was working on a project that was selected for the Cambridge University Accelerate program. It was a transformational experience for me,” he wrote. “Cambridge also offers a full degree program in entrepreneurship, which I've always dreamed of pursuing but could never afford. It's Cambridge, quite expensive,” he added.

On Thursday, the developer posted an update on the website, noting that he had been contacted by a senior executive from Reliance. He requested £93,345 (Rs 1.01 crore), equivalent to the tuition fees for an Executive MBA program. "Update as of October 24: I was contacted by Ambujesh Yadav, AVP of Commercials at Reliance, and requested a fee of £93,345, equivalent to my e-MBA program tuition," he added.

According to the developer, Reliance rejected the offer and threatened legal action. "Reliance declined my demand and is considering legal action. I hope they reconsider, as it’s a large group that could afford to help. Thanks to everyone who showed support—I don’t have the strength to stand up to Reliance alone," he stated.

The developer is now seeking legal assistance, claiming he hasn’t infringed on any trademarks. "I don’t believe I violated any trademarks when I purchased the domain in 2023, as ‘JioHotstar’ didn’t exist at the time. If anyone can help me legally, I’d be grateful," he added.