New Delhi: A Delhi-based app developer had purchased the JioHotstar domain name amid speculations about the merger of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar. This news came out on Wednesday. This person had left a message for Jio’s parent company Reliance Industries. The message said that he was ready to sell the domain to them. Now it seems that Mukesh Ambani‘s Reliance has threatened that person with legal action. This incident happened when the news of the merger of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar came. A Delhi-based app developer took advantage of the opportunity and purchased the JioHotstar domain name. He demanded Rs 1 crore for the domain name. Later the developer changed his demand and asked for fees for studying at Cambridge University. Reliance rejected this request and threatened legal action. The developer has sought help from the legal fraternity.
Bought the domain last year
The JioHotstar domain name was accompanied by a simple landing page. There was a message from the developer on it. The developer said he had purchased the domain last year when he first heard about the merger. The message read, ‘When I saw this domain was available I thought things might be OK. My intention in purchasing this domain was simple: if this merger goes through, I can fulfill my dream of studying at Cambridge.’
An update was posted on the website on Thursday. It said the developer demanded £93,345 (₹1.01 crore) after being approached by a senior Reliance official. This is the fee for the course that the developer wants to pursue at Cambridge University.
The update read, ‘Update as of October 24: Contacted by a Reliance executive, Ambujesh Yadav ji, AVP, Commercials. £93,345 was requested, which is the tuition fees for the EMBA programme.’
Reliance rejected the request
However, according to the developer, Reliance has not only rejected the request but also threatened legal action.
The developer further said, ‘The request has been rejected. Reliance will take legal action. I hope they will reconsider this humble request. I wish such a large group could help. Thanks to everyone who shared and sent well wishes. I don’t have the strength to stand against Reliance.
The developer sought help from the legal fraternity saying that it has not violated any trademark or copyright. He said, ‘I don’t think I infringed any trademark when I bought it in 2023, because JioHotstar didn’t even exist at that time. No one had the trademark for JioHotstar when I bought it. I may lose my access to this domain within a few hours. If any legal professional can help, I would be grateful.