PewDiePie and T-Series settle lawsuit over “racist” YouTube diss tracks

Calum Patterson

Number one YouTuber Felix ‘PewDiePie‘ Kjellberg has reportedly settled a lawsuit with Indian production company and record label T-Series, following a legal battle over supposedly ‘racist’ diss tracks made by the Swedish video maker.

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Throughout late 2018 and early 2019, Kjellberg and T-Series were locked in a seemingly endless battle for YouTube superiority, as PewDiePie attempted to keep his spot as the number one most subscribed YouTuber.

After fending off the Indian corporation, PewDiePie finally admitted defeat with the sarcastically titled ‘Congratulations’, his second diss track aimed at T-Series, following his first, entitled “Bitch Lasagna.”

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Both diss tracks were blocked in India following a court order in April 2019, after T-Series obtained an injunction from the Delhi High Court, in which the judge described the tracks as “abusive, vulgar and racist.”

T-Series and PewDiePie settle over diss tracks

A new court filing from July, obtained by Business Insider, shows that T-Series and PewDiePie have come to a settlement, although the parties are yet to sign an agreement. 

“The 15 July filing states the two have settled, but haven’t signed an agreement. T-Series did not respond to a request for further detail,” the report states.

The diss tracks are blocked in India, but can be viewed in other countries around the world.
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In PewDiePie’s Congratulations song, he even alludes to having received a notice of cease and desist from T-Series, relating to his first ‘Bitch Lasagna’ diss track.

Both videos remain blocked to YouTube users in India, but they are available in other countries worldwide.

T-Series has since taken a commanding lead in the subscriber battle, surpassing the 100 million mark first. PewDiePie still holds the record for the most subscribers on a channel for an individual creator.

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In an interview with Business Insider, T-Series President Neeraj Kalyan stated that there was “no hard feelings” towards PewDiePie, saying “he’s great. We wish him all the best.”

However, the diss tracks in question did undeniably contain some direct insults towards T-Series, and although Kjellberg appeared to be making the comments in jest, it has been taken more seriously by the Delhi High Court.

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About The Author

Calum is Dexerto's Managing Editor, based in Scotland. Joining Dexerto in 2017, Calum has years of experience covering esports, gaming and online entertainment, and now leads the team to deliver the best coverage in these areas. An expert on all things Twitch and gaming influencers, he's also an expert in popular shooters like Apex Legends, CS2 and Call of Duty. You can contact Calum at calum.patterson@dexerto.com.