Christian Metal Band Demon Hunter Sue Netflix Over KPop ‘Demon Hunters’
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Christian metal band Demon Hunter sue Netflix over KPop ‘Demon Hunters’
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Ryan Clark of Demon Hunter on stage at the Louder Than Life Music Festival in 2019
By Annabel Rackham, Culture reporter
Published 1 hour ago
Christian metal band Demon Hunter are suing Netflix over trademark infringement related to the streamer’s hit film Kpop Demon Hunters.
The US group, active for 25 years, argues that Netflix’s plans for a global concert tour, alongside the movie and merchandise, create "almost complete overlap" with their own offerings.
Filed on Tuesday by the band’s company, Hyde Lane, the lawsuit claims that Netflix Studios and live promoter AEG Presents have caused "substantial confusion" among consumers.
Evidence includes emails from someone who mistakenly spent $500 on tickets for a Demon Hunter concert in New York, thinking it was a child-friendly Kpop show.
Other examples cited include a television producer who believed they were related to Kpop Demon Hunters, and social media posts incorrectly tagging Demon Hunter when discussing the film.
The five-piece Seattle band, known for their "aggressive yet emotionally stirring heavy metal" according to AllMusic, released their 12th album in September 2025 and have 350,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
By contrast, the KPop Demon Hunters cast boasts 27 million monthly listeners on the streaming platform.
The legal complaint states:
"The brand that Hyde Lane has carefully built over the course of the past quarter century now faces an existential crisis, thereby necessitating the filing of this action and the granting of the requested relief from this Court."
Demon Hunter’s company registered "Demon Hunter" as a trademark for recorded music and merchandise in 2022, with applications pending for live music.
Netflix has registered "Kpop Demon Hunters" for various merchandise uses, while a sequel to the film, numerous other projects are in development.
The band have requested that the court stop Netflix from using the KPop Demon Hunters name for recorded music, live shows, and merchandise, and award unspecified damages.
The BBC has reached out to Demon Hunter, Netflix, and AEG Presents for comment.
