Techie who bought JioHotstar domain and wants Reliance to fund his higher studies, gives an update: Reliance executive called ...
Reliance has it seems denied the request of the app developer who had bought the JioHotstar domain on the internet. In a letter -- posted on https://jiohotstar.com -- addressed to executives of Reliance Industries, the app developer had asked Reliance Industries to fund his higher studies in exchange for him giving up the Jiohotstar.com domain.
In an update, dated October 24, the techie has written that he was contacted by a Reliance executive, named Ambujesh Yadav , and that the company has turned down his request. "An Executive from Reliance reached out - Ambujesh Yadav Ji, AVP, Commercials. A request was made for £93,345, which represents the tuition fees for the EMBA program. The request has been denied," he wrote.
In an update, dated October 24, the techie has written that he was contacted by a Reliance executive, named Ambujesh Yadav , and that the company has turned down his request. "An Executive from Reliance reached out - Ambujesh Yadav Ji, AVP, Commercials. A request was made for £93,345, which represents the tuition fees for the EMBA program. The request has been denied," he wrote.
The app developer who signed off with the name "A dreamer" had earlier written, "My intention of buying this domain was simple: if this merger happens, I might be able to fulfill my dream of studying at Cambridge," said the app developer, who has signed off as "a dreamer" in the letter. Times of India Tech checked the URL and it indeed goes to the page which has the app developers letter addressed to Reliance Industries management.
Here's the update as it appears on https://jiohotstar.com:
Update as of October 24th: An Executive from Reliance reached out - Ambujesh Yadav Ji, AVP, Commercials. A request was made for £93,345, which represents the tuition fees for the EMBA program. The request has been denied. Reliance will proceed with legal action. I hope they will reconsider this kind request. I wish such a large group could help. Thank you to all who shared and sent kind words. I don't have the power to stand against Reliance. I don't feel I infringed any trademark when I bought this in 2023, since JioHotstar was not even in existence at that time. No body has trademark for JioHotstar as of now. If any legal professional could help, I would be grateful.
Thank you, everybody.
Original letter posted on the website
Dear Executive of Reliance Industries,
I am an app developer based in Delhi, currently working on my startup. In early 2023, while scrolling through social media, I came across a news piece stating that Disney+ Hotstar was losing daily active users after losing the IPL streaming license, and Disney is considering selling or merging Hotstar with an Indian competitor.
This led me to hypothesize that, since Sony and Zee were pursuing their own merger, Viacom 18 (owned by Reliance) is the only major player with sufficient resources to acquire Disney+ Hotstar. This reminded me of when Jio acquired the music streaming service Saavn, they rebranded it to JioSaavn, and changed the domain from Saavn.com to JioSaavn.com.
I thought, "If they acquire Hotstar, they might rename it to JioHotstar.com." I checked for the domain, and it was available. I was excited, as I felt that if this happened, I could fund my goal of studying at Cambridge.
In 2021, I was working on a project that was selected for the Cambridge University Accelerate program. It was a transformational experience for me. I couldn't crack IIT and always wanted to learn from the best, coming from a Tier-ll college, being selected for this program was an incredibly valuable and practical experience. The startup program taught me many valuable lessons and provided insights into the ins and outs of startups for free, which was amazing. However, it was limited in scope - after all it was just a startup program.
Cambridge also offers a full degree program in entrepreneurship, which l've always dreamed of pursuing but could never afford, It's Cambridge, quite expensive. When I saw this domain become available, I felt things might just fall into place.
My intention of buying this domain was simple: if this merger happens, I might be able to fulfill my dream of studying at Cambridge
Now that the merger has actually happened, and news sources are confirming there will be only one site post-merger (either JioCinema or Hotstar.com), I believe JioHotstar.com would be a very fitting brand name for the merged entity. It maintains the brand equity of both brands and provides a rational transition for the current users of both sites.
To acquire this domain, kindly reach out to mail@jiohotstar.com from your company email address with an official letter attached, stating your authorization to purchase on behalf of Reliance Industries/Viacom18. For a multi-billion dollar company like Reliance, this will be a minor expense, but for me, the sale of this domain would be truly life-changing.
Best Regards,
A dreamer.
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