Disney+ Hotstar sued by Pocket FM over alleged copyright violation

A suit has been filed against Disney+ Hotstar, a video streaming platform, in the Delhi High Court by audio entertainment platform Pocket FM. The suit has been filed against alleged copyright violations of the platform’s web series named ‘Yakshini.’ This was first reported by the Economic Times.

Pocket FM has requested an interim injunction against Disney+ Hotstar’s parent company, Novi Digital Entertainment. They have asked the court to order the streaming platform to remove the trailer for a web series.

The case is scheduled for Thursday before Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, with Disney+ Hotstar expected to submit a response. Pocket FM’s plea, dated June 11, asserts copyright ownership of ‘Yakshini,’ available on their platform since May 2021, and claims that Disney+ Hotstar’s Telugu web series, also named ‘Yakshini,’ has numerous similarities to their audio series.

The promo for the web series was released by the video streaming platform at the beginning of June 14. Pocket FM has highlighted that the depiction of ‘Yakshini’ is closely similar to its audio series.

Founded in 2018, Pocket FM is an audio platform that has a presence in more than 20 countries. Founded by Rohan Nayak, Nishanth KS, and Prateek Dixit, “Pocket FM has quickly ascended to a Series C stage company, becoming a driving force in the realm of audio storytelling,” as per a company website.

In March of this year, the platform raised $103 million in a Series D round. With the funding, the company aimed to grow into Europe and the LATAM regions this year, and the additional capital will help both of these efforts. Pocket FM is also stepping up its efforts to enter the US market. Highlighting the US market, the company said in a statement, “US audiences are the most engaged on the platform globally, spending over 135 minutes daily. The platform has approximately 10 million registered users in the US.” Outlook India