Man books JioHotstar domain; demands Cambridge education funding for sale to Reliance

New Delhi: On Thursday, an app developer from Delhi got into a legal and corporate showdown with Reliance Industries over the domain name "JioHotstar.com."

This dispute comes in the wake of the much-anticipated merger between Viacom18 and Disney Star India.

The developer, who chose to remain anonymous, identifying only as "a dreamer," anticipated the merger and purchased the domain JioHotstar.com. 

 His speculation was based on industry movements, particularly after Disney+ Hotstar lost IPL streaming rights, hinting at potential restructuring or mergers within the Indian streaming market. 

 In a bold move, the developer reached out to Reliance Industries with an unusual proposal: he would transfer the domain in exchange for funding his education at Cambridge University. This proposition was detailed in a letter publicly shared on the very domain in question, highlighting his ambition and the strategic foresight behind the domain purchase.

https://jiohotstar.com/

Reliance Industries, led by Mukesh Ambani, has not taken kindly to this offer. Instead of negotiating, the conglomerate is reportedly considering legal action against the developer. 

 It appears to have relied upon domain squatting laws, where the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) by ICANN could come into play. The policy addresses issues where domain names are registered in bad faith or are identical or confusingly similar to existing trademarks.

 The developer argued that "JioHotstar" could serve as an ideal brand name for the merged entity on the lines of JioSaavn.