JioHotstar Dispute: Dubai Siblings Assert Domain Ownership from Developer Purchase
 

The JioHotstar.com domain controversy has taken an unexpected twist as a new landing page featuring Dubai-based siblings Jainam (13) and Jivika (10) recently went live. Originally purchased by a Delhi-based app developer before the anticipated JioCinema and Hotstar merger, the domain has reportedly changed hands. The developer initially acquired JioHotstar.com in 2023, foreseeing the platform's value, and even sought Rs 1 crore from Reliance to fund his MBA at Cambridge. However, after Reliance allegedly rejected his offer and initiated legal proceedings, the domain now appears under the ownership of the young sibling duo, capturing widespread attention and sparking further debate.

JioHotstar Dispute: Dubai Siblings Claim Ownership

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The story begins with a letter which appeared at JioHotstar.com. Many thought it was going to be a hybrid streaming service after the merged entity of Disney+ Hotstar and Viacom18, a Reliance subsidiary. The Delhi developer had indeed foreseen this move and hence snapped up the domain way back in 2023. In the letter, he wrote to Reliance asking for an eye watering Rs 1 crore citing the fact that the same will help him fund his executive MBA at Cambridge University. However, the founder alleges that the Reliance official rejected his proposal and is filing a suit against him for trademark infringement.
New Domain Owners
Recently, JioHotstar.com released a landing page with Jainam and Jivika, sibling duo based in Dubai who, at the moment, has claimed ownership of the domain. According to their website, JainamJivikaFuntime.com, this sibling duo claimed that they have bought the domain for "supporting a young software developer from Delhi." And just like that, this sibling duo brings unexpected twists into the saga of this dispute, and those following the drama of the battle cannot help but draw in their attention.

With these issues, the matter of JioHotstar domain dispute raises questions in intellectual property rights and who owns the domain, along with how corporate interests are complex matters in the digital space.