JioStar Responds to Lawsuit Over “Queen 2”
JioStar has officially responded to the lawsuit filed by Phantom Studios, which demands ₹250 crores, claiming that the upcoming film “Queen 2” infringes on the intellectual property rights of the original film “Queen” from 2014. The company firmly denies these claims, asserting that “Queen 2” is a completely original project with no ties to the earlier movie.
This statement comes just days after Phantom Studios took their case to the Bombay High Court. They allege that JioStar has used elements of the “Queen” intellectual property without permission. Phantom Studios claims they own 50% of the rights to the original film and argue that they never authorized any sequel or related project.
JioStar Insists on Originality
According to JioStar, their collaboration with actress Kangana Ranaut is unrelated to the original “Queen.” They stated, “StarStudio18 is currently working with Ms. Kangana Ranaut on a fresh project that is a unique, standalone story. It has no connection to prior works and is neither a sequel nor a prequel.” JioStar also refutes claims that including the word “Queen” in the title amounts to copyright infringement.
Common Nouns and Legal Rights
In their response, JioStar emphasized that “Queen” is a common word in the English language and cannot be exclusively owned by any one entity. They argued that no one can claim sole ownership of such a term, suggesting that the lawsuit lacks legal merit. The production house expressed confidence in their legal standing and plans to defend their position in court.
The original “Queen” film was highly acclaimed upon its release in 2014, winning two National Film Awards, including Best Actress for Kangana Ranaut. It was produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Phantom Films, which has since been rebranded as Phantom Studios.
Interestingly, “Queen 2” brings Kangana Ranaut back together with director Vikas Bahl, who also directed the first film. The project began filming earlier this year and is currently in the post-production phase.
