Christian metal band Demon Hunter has taken legal action against Netflix for trademark infringement, alleging that the popular film “KPop Demon Hunters” has caused confusion among audiences. The lawsuit, filed on August 18, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by Hyde Lane Inc., the parent company of Demon Hunter, claims that the film’s title is too closely related to the band’s trademarked name.
According to the complaint, Demon Hunter, founded by brothers Ryan Clark and Don Clark in Seattle in 2000, has released 13 albums and achieved significant sales, including streaming numbers equivalent to one million albums. The band’s latest album, “There Was a Light Here,” was launched in 2025.
Netflix’s release of “KPop Demon Hunters” in June 2025, depicting members of a K-pop girl group who engage in demon hunting, has become the streaming platform’s most-watched movie, surpassing 325.1 million views by March. However, since the film’s debut, Demon Hunter has received inquiries from individuals who have mistaken the band for the characters in “KPop Demon Hunters.”
In one instance highlighted in the complaint, a parent reached out to Demon Hunter’s parent company in February seeking a refund for concert tickets, mistakenly believing they were for a show related to “KPop Demon Hunters.” Additionally, an oversight by a producer from the television show “Inside Edition” led to a request for an interview with a non-existent member of Demon Hunter, based on a songwriter featured in the film.
The complaint further notes instances where social media users have erroneously used the hashtag #DemonHunter in discussions about “KPop Demon Hunters.” The lawsuit emphasizes that Netflix has no right to utilize the “KPop Demon Hunters” mark, drawing parallels with hypothetical scenarios involving other renowned music groups.
Legal representative John Tehranian, speaking on behalf of the band, declined to provide a comment at this time. In response, Netflix stated that it intends to contest the lawsuit, dismissing the allegations as lacking merit and highlighting the success and impact of “KPop Demon Hunters” on a global scale.