• Zee locks horns with billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Disney JV
• India's Zee accuses Reliance-Disney of infringing its music
• Reliance-led group was earlier open to resolution
• Zee is demanding $3 million in damages, court papers show

NEW DELHI, May 6 (Reuters) - India's Zee Entertainment ZEE.NS has sued the Reliance-Disney joint venture, the country's biggest entertainment company, alleging it used Zee's copyrighted music after licence agreements expired, court documents show.

Zee is seeking $3 million in damages, alleging unauthorised use and exploitation of works from its music division on the Reliance-Disney streaming platform and some of its TV channels, according to previously unreported court papers seen by Reuters.

The lawsuit, filed in New Delhi and reported by Reuters for the first time, marks the latest legal clash between Zee and the group formed from Reliance and Disney's $8.5 billion merger in 2024. The dispute underscores rising tensions over content rights as India's streaming and broadcast market consolidates.

Zee and JioStar, the name of the Reliance-Disney venture led by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance RELI.NS, declined to comment.

Zee and Reliance are also locked in arbitration in London, where Reliance is seeking $1 billion million in damages from Zee for quitting a cricket licensing deal in 2024. Zee denies any wrongdoing and is contesting the demand.

In its 1,800-page lawsuit filed on April 14, Zee alleges that Reliance-Disney used its music at least 50 times after certain licensing agreements expired in 2024 and 2025 and were not renewed due to disagreements over commercial terms.