Dorje Teas, a startup that appeared on Shark Tank India, landed in legal trouble after Sony Pictures Networks India team sent them a Copyright notice. Drove Teas had taken part in the third season of Shark Tank India, and had made a pitch on the show to receive funding. Sparsh Agarwal, founder of the startup in question, took to LinkedIN to condemn this move by the makers of the show.
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“Shark Tank India has sent us a legal notice! We woke up to a number of legal claims made by the Sony Pictures Networks India team sending us copyright violation notice for using clips from our own pitch, on YouTube and Meta ads. And we’re not the only ones— they’ve cracked down on each and every startup that appeared on Shark Tank,” he said.
What Is Dorje Teas?
The company, started by Sparsh Agarwal and his friends Ishan Kanoria and Debasis De, is a subscription-based tea startup delivering fresh-from-farm, organic Darjeeling Tea, to customers across India. “Through our subscription model, we make the entire produce from the garden available to our customers. This is the only way that the tea gardens can benefit. They no longer have to be dependent on multinationals, exporters, or retailers. By connecting customers directly to the garden, they have access to the some of the best teas in the world at some of the best prices possible,” says the LinkedIN profile of the company.
Why Did Dorje Teas Receive Legal Notice?
The company received a legal notice for using their videos from Shark Tank India to promote their company on YouTube and Meta. Legally, this move is liable to be apprehended under copyright infringement laws as Sony Pictures Networks India has the ownership rights on the video. In all likelihood, Dorje Teas might have even signed an agreement on the same prior to making an appearance on the show.
Why the Startup Thinks This is Wrong?
Sparsh Agarwal, in his LinkedIN post said that while he understood copyright laws were supporting this, he felt that this move was not justified. “After all at Dorje Teas, and other companies like Skippi, Assembly, Perfora, Hoovu Fresh, Beyond Snack, Wakao Foods, Nasher Miles and so many others, are spending lacs every month to boost Shark Tank content, thereby giving free publicity and brand recall to the SHARK TANK INDIA brand!” he said. He further commented that the show was going against its ethos of helping startups by going after small companies such as his.
