Jiohotstar domain row: UAE-based kids take over ownership from Delhi app developer

In a twist to the internet tale of Delhi techie offering to sell ‘jiohotstar.com’ to fund studies, it now appears that the domain has changed hands. As per the latest update on the website, it is now owned by Dubai-based siblings Jivika and Jainam Jain.

THE WEEK reached out to both of them. Jainam Jain responded, confirming that the domain is now owned by them. “We bought it from him (the unnamed app developer). The deal happened via namecheap.com,” said Jain.

ALSO READ | Delhi techie offers to sell ‘jiohotstar’ domain to fund studies. Will Reliance take legal action?

As per the email communication, the Jain siblings verified the purchase and paid through Namecheap Inc, an ICANN-accredited domain registrar based in Phoenix, Arizona. “We bought it for an undisclosed amount. We don’t want to disclose the amount,” he added.

The children, who also seem to operate the JainamJivika Foundation, sealed the deal by 7pm on Friday. “We read the news in the afternoon and decided to buy. We discussed this with parents and got the go-ahead. Our parents always support our decisions,” said Jain.

In the YouTube video they posted, the siblings said that funded a part of the “software engineer’s dream”. The entire discussion behind the domain in question was triggered by market speculations of Viacom 18 buying Hotstar from Disney.

Earlier this week, the “open letter” to “executives of Reliance Industries” by the unnamed app developer from Delhi trended on social media. There, he expressed his desire to pursue higher studies at Cambridge, requesting £93,345 (about Rs 1.01 crore) as tuition fees from the media conglomerate for the ownership of the domain he bought back in 2023.

On Friday morning, the techie told THE WEEK that his request was denied and that “Reliance will proceed with legal action” before updating the same on the website.  

Will Reliance risk the brand by going against children?

While earlier instances of the law hinted at the techie losing the domain battle in court, this move by two children whose first names and last names begin with “J” brings with it more complications for Viacom 18 since it blurs the line in the “domain squatting” argument. Further attempts at communication with Viacom 18 officials on the matter were left unanswered.