Demon Hunter Fires Litigation Against Netflix Over "KPop Demon Hunters"

Sun Sep 06 2026 03:55:54 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Christian metal band Demon Hunter sues streaming giant Netflix, alleging brand confusion with its own name after the release of the hit animated film KPop Demon Hunters.

Christian metal group Demon Hunter, with a 25‑year history, claims that Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters film, global tour and merchandise create an "almost complete overlap" with their brand. Two parties filed a trademark complaint alleging consumer confusion, including an email from a ticket buyer who thought they were purchasing a child‑friendly concert. The band seeks to prohibit Netflix from using the name for music, live shows and merchandise and will claim unspecified damages. Netflix’s block‑buster film has amassed millions of listeners and has earned major awards, amplifying the dispute’s stakes.

Christian metal band Demon Hunter is taking legal action against Netflix, claiming its KPop Demon Hunters film and associated merchandise clash with the band’s trademark protection.

The lawsuit, filed by Demon Hunter’s parent company Hyde Lane on Tuesday, argues that Netflix’s planned global concert tour, film release and merchandise line have an "almost complete overlap" with the band’s own offerings. The complaint lists email evidence that a customer spent $500 on tickets for a Demon Hunter concert in New York, only to discover it had been advertised as a child‑friendly KPop show.

Demon Hunter, a Seattle‑based group whose music has been touring the world for over twenty‑five years, registered the "Demon Hunter" mark for recorded music and merchandise in 2022 and is actively pursuing trademark rights for live performances. Netflix, in turn, has filed for the term "Kpop Demon Hunters" for a range of merchandise and has pending applications for its use in other contexts.

The band’s complaint further notes that the KPop Demon Hunters franchise, an animated film featuring the K‑pop girl group Huntr/X, has become Netflix’s most‑watched original title, earned major awards at the Golden Globes and Oscars, and has an international live tour slated for 2027.

"The brand that Hyde Lane has carefully built over the past quarter century now faces an existential crisis, thereby necessitating the filing of this action…", the statement says, while urging a court to halt Netflix’s use of the name for recorded music, live shows and merchandise.

According to AllMusic, the original Demon Hunter album lineup delivers "aggressive yet emotionally stirring heavy metal" and continues to amass a steady following—currently 350,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, compared with 27 million for the KPop Demon Hunters cast. Demon Hunter is seeking unspecified damages in addition to the injunction.

BBC reporters Annabel Rackham and the Culture team have reached out to both parties for comment.