JioHotstar domain impasse: What is Cybersquatting? Is it punishable in India?

The latest JioHotstar standoff brings to fore the question of ownership of domains. Is it stealing, extortion, or a more grave cyber crime?

Earlier this week, a Delhi-based developer made headlines after he revealed that he owns the domain name jiohotstar.com. The developer, who foresaw a potential merger of Reliance JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar, purchased the domain some time ago.

At a time when Reliance JioCinema was completing the regulatory approvals for the merger with the streamer, the developer posted a letter addressed to the executives of Reliance Industries asking them to fund his higher education in return for the domain.

The letter led to a standoff between the developer and Reliance over the domain. However, now it seems to have concluded. After acquiring the domain ahead of a highly-anticipated merger, the developer has now announced that the site will go offline. Reportedly, the developer is now offering it for sale on a domain marketplace.

The developer buying the domain and offering it up for sale is known as Cybersquatting. According to the popular definition of Cybersquatting, it is an act of registering or using a domain name to profit from a trademark, corporate or personal name of an individual.