Pocket FM Sues Disney+ Hotstar Over Alleged Copyright Violation Of Its Audio Series ‘Yakshini’

Audio OTT platform Pocket FM has initiated legal action against video streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar, filing a suit in the Delhi High Court over alleged copyright infringements related to its audio series ‘Yakshini’.

Pocket FM has sought an interim injunction against Disney+ Hotstar’s parent company, Novi Digital Entertainment, requesting the court to order the removal of the trailer for the web series.

The case is scheduled for a hearing on Thursday (June 13) before the bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, with Disney+ Hotstar expected to submit its response.

In its plea dated June 11, Pocket FM claims ownership of the copyright to ‘Yakshini’, which has been available on its platform since May 2021. The company alleges that Disney+ Hotstar’s Telugu web series, also titled ‘Yakshini’, bears many similarities to its audio series.

The streaming platform has already released the promo for the web series, which is scheduled to start streaming on June 14. Pocket FM’s plea asserts that the depiction of ‘Yakshini’ in Disney+ Hotstar’s series closely mirrors that of its audio series, noting specific similarities in Yakshini’s entry scene.

Founded in 2018 by Rohan Nayak, Nishanth KS and Prateek Dixit, Pocket FM is an audio series platform offering content across multiple languages and genres such as romance, self-help, and motivation.

Earlier this year, it raised $103 Mn (INR 857 Cr) as a part of its Series D funding round led by Lightspeed, with participation from Stepstone Group, to fortify its presence in the US as well as to expand to Europe and LATAM markets.

It is pertinent to note that Pocket FM today has put up an AI-led strategy for automation, content curation, production, and distribution. The company is also working on leveraging GenAI to scale its entertainment content offerings and build AI-powered personalised recommendations to enhance the overall user experience.

Earlier this year, the startup appointed former PhonePe executive Suyog Gothi as its vice president and India country head. In a statement, Pocket FM said Gothi will spearhead its operations in India, working closely with cofounders Rohan Nayak and Nishanth KS.

The startup also rolled out its online novel reading platform Pocket Novel to expand its offerings to other entertainment segments and formats.

In FY23, Pocket FM’s India arm posted a 56% year-on-year (YoY) narrowed loss of INR 75.7 Cr and a 663% YoY surge in operating revenue to INR 129.7 Cr.