Christian metal band Demon Hunter are suing Netflix in a trademark lawsuit over the their popular film, KPop Demon Hunters. The US-based band, who have been releasing music and touring for 25 years, said that the streamer's plan for a global concert tour, along with the movie and merchandise of Kpop Demon Hunters would mean that there is "almost complete overlap" with their offerings.
Filed on Tuesday by the band's company Hyde Lane, the complaint claims both Netflix Studios and the live promoter AEG Presents have caused "substantial confusion" among consumers, which included an email evidence from someone who allegedly spent $500 on tickets for a Demon Hunter concert in New York, thinking it was a child-friendly K-Pop show for their small children.
The other examples that were cited in the lawsuit include a television producer who apparently contacted the band's management thinking they were related to KPop Demon Hunters, besides social media posts were the US band have been incorrectly tagged while discussing the film.
The five-member Seattle band, who play aggressive yet emotionally strong heavy metal, released their 12th album in September 2025 and have around 350,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
On the other hand, the KPop Demon Hunters cast have only 27 million monthly listeners on the streaming platform.
The legal notice said: "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."
The 25-year-old metal band have asked the court to stop Netflix using the KPop Demon Hunters name for recorded music, live shows and merchandise, and to award unspecified damages.
The band's company had registered "Demon Hunter" as a trademark for recorded music and merchandise back in 2022, and have applied for a trademark in relation to live music.
Netflix has registered "Kpop Demon Hunters" as a trademark for a number of merchandise uses, with other applications pending.
What started as a 2025 animated film following K-pop girl group Huntr/X, KPop Demon Hunters has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, with music releases and extensive merchandise, with a global live tour expected to begin in 2027. In Netflix history, it is the most-watched original title and also won the best animated film and best original song for Golden at the 2026 Golden Globes and Oscars.
While a sequel is already in the works, the streamer is also considering other follow-up projects like a television series and stage musical.
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