Christian metal band Demon Hunter sues Netflix over “KPop Demon Hunters” name
Seattle-based Christian metal band Demon Hunter has filed a lawsuit against Netflix, Netflix Studios and concert promoter AEG Presents. The suit, filed Tuesday, August 18, in federal court in the Central District of California, accuses the companies of trademark infringement, unfair competition and causing confusion among consumers. The formal plaintiff is Hyde Lane, the corporation that operates the band.
Demon Hunter has been active since 2000, has released more than a dozen albums, and still tours regularly. The dispute centers on the animated film “KPop Demon Hunters, ” released on Netflix in 2025, which became the streamer’s most-watched English-language title ever: its soundtrack earned five Grammy nominations, and the song “Golden” won the Oscar for Best Original Song. According to the band, things escalated when Netflix and AEG announced a “KPop Demon Hunters” world concert tour for 2027, spanning 150 cities — something the group says creates “almost complete overlap” with what it already offers fans under the Demon Hunter name.
The lawsuit cites a specific example of confusion: a fan spent roughly $500 on tickets to a real Demon Hunter show in Albany, New York, for himself and his kids, then asked for a refund after realizing he had bought the wrong tickets instead of ones for the actual “KPop Demon Hunters” event. The band calls itself the “senior user” of the trademark and is asking for a jury trial, a court order barring Netflix and AEG from using the “KPop Demon Hunters” name, and triple damages. Neither Netflix nor AEG has publicly commented yet.
