Exclusive: India's Zee sues Nykaa over alleged copyright misuse of songs on Instagram reels

Tuesday 05 - 12:00

Indian media company Zee Entertainment has filed a lawsuit against beauty and fashion retailer Nykaa, accusing the company of using copyrighted songs without proper authorization in Instagram reels used for product promotion.

The case, filed on April 3 at the Delhi High Court, seeks approximately $210,000 in damages. Zee claims that while it has a licensing agreement with Meta Platforms allowing users to include its music in non-commercial Instagram posts, Nykaa allegedly used several songs for commercial advertising purposes.

Allegations and commercial use

According to court documents reviewed by Reuters, Nykaa is accused of using popular copyrighted tracks in short video content to promote its products to millions of social media followers. Zee argues that this use goes beyond personal or non-commercial sharing and enters the domain of paid marketing, which requires separate licensing rights.

Short-form videos such as Instagram reels have become a major marketing tool for brands, often using trending Hindi songs to attract audiences and increase engagement.

Court proceedings and response

During a preliminary hearing, Nykaa’s legal representative informed the court that 12 disputed links identified by Zee had already been removed. The court order has not been made public.

Both Nykaa and Zee Entertainment declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings.

The case highlights growing tensions between content owners and digital brands over the use of copyrighted music in online advertising.