Reliance Jio Hotstar Domain Row: Reliance Declines Delhi Techie’s Offer, Considers Action

The anticipated merger between JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar is expected to disrupt India’s streaming market, with experts predicting the combined platform could dominate the OTT space. However, there’s already an unexpected challenge—a tech-savvy individual from Delhi has claimed the domain name “JioHotstar,” potentially complicating the launch of a unified platform.

Though official details about the merger are still limited, rumours suggest the new service may be called JioHotstar. However, this plan hit a snag when an app developer from Delhi snapped up the domain JioHotstar.com. The site currently features a simple message, “Best of Entertainment, Streaming Soon,” without any official logos and includes a personal note aimed at Reliance Industries executives.

Developer’s Personal Note and Request

In this note, the developer explains how, in early 2023, the decline in Disney+ Hotstar’s user base—after losing IPL streaming rights—sparked rumours of a merger or sale. Remembering how Jio rebranded Saavn to JioSaavn, the developer decided to check the availability of the JioHotstar domain, and to his surprise, it was still available.

The developer’s intentions go beyond a quick profit. He has attached a heartfelt request asking Reliance to fund his dream of attending Cambridge University in exchange for the domain. He explains that he had a project selected for Cambridge’s Accelerate program but couldn’t afford to pursue it. Now, he hopes this domain acquisition will help him achieve that goal. He ends his message by pointing out that while this would be a small expense for a company like Reliance, it would be life-changing for him.

Understanding Digital Squatting

This situation highlights digital squatting, or cybersquatting, where individuals claim domain names that resemble established brands, often to sell them for profit or personal gain. Cybersquatting can lead to legal issues, with companies sometimes taking squatters to court to reclaim such domains. In this case, Reliance and Disney+ Hotstar may need to decide whether to negotiate with the developer or pursue legal action to retrieve the domain, potentially influencing the branding of their merged platform.

About Reliance Industries Ltd 

Dhirubhai Ambani established reliance and is currently run by his elder son, Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani, with the Ambani family owning about 50% of the company’s shares. Jio Digital, part of Reliance, is India’s largest digital services platform, boasting around 410 million subscribers and holding a 36% market share. It offers various services, including wireless connectivity, home broadband, and broadband solutions for businesses and small to medium enterprises. In 2021, Jio handled approximately 10% of the world’s mobile data traffic.

On October 25, 2024, Reliance Industries Ltd’s share price opened at ₹2,687.00, touching the day’s low at ₹2,653.70, as of 10:37 AM on the NSE.

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