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Christian metal band Demon Hunters have filed a lawsuit against Netflix and AEG Presents over the streamer’s mega-hit animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.”
The band, which filed the lawsuit under its corporate entity Hyde
Lane, has registered the “Demon Hunter” trademark in a number of categories and is suing for trademark infringement and unfair competition, among other claims. They have requested a jury trial.
AEG Presents have been included as defendants due to their involvement in the upcoming “KPop Demon Hunters” tour, which was announced earlier this year and plans to span 150 cities.
Formed in 2000 in Seattle by Ryan Clark and Don Clark, Demon Hunters have released a number of studio and live albums over the past two decades, starting with their 2002 debut record “Demon Hunter” through to the recent “There Was a Light Here” in 2025, the suit says.
It claims the Netflix film, which was released last year and tells the story of a girlband called Huntr/x who happen to be demon slayers, has caused “a substantial likelihood of confusion” and resulted in an “existential crisis” for the Clarks’ band.
“KPop Demon Hunters” was Netflix’s most-streamed movie of 2025 with 20.5 billion viewing minutes and went on to win numerous awards including Oscars, Grammys and Golden Globes. A sequel has already been greenlit and is set for release in 2029.
In the lawsuit the band have provided some examples of confusion that already occurred, including an email they received in February from a man asking for a refund after he spent $500 on tickets to their gig for his 5 and 6 year-old daughters in the belief he was buying tickets to see the fictional girl band.
They also cite an email received from CBS’ “Inside Edition” requesting an interview with “KPop Demon Hunter” songwriter Yu-Han Lee asking to speak with him about winning an Oscar.
As well as causing confusion, the band claim it has become difficult to find Demon Hunter gigs and merchandise online because the results prioritize “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Hyde Lane say the inclusion of the words “KPop” before “Demon Hunters” does not “overcome the likelihood of confusion” because “KPop” is too generic a term. “Simply put, Netflix is no more entitled to use the mark ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ than it would be to launch a recording artist, live touring show and merchandise under the marks ‘KPop Metallica,’ ‘KPop U2,’ or ‘KPop Black Sabbath,’” the lawsuit asserts. They are seeking to recover profits from Netflix and Netflix Studios as well as injunctive relief, among other remedies.
A spokesperson for Netflix told Variety: “These allegations are without merit. Netflix has created an Academy Award-winning global phenomenon with ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ that has inspired fans around the world with its powerful music, storytelling, and characters. We look forward to vigorously defending this matter.”
