A Christian metal band called Demon Hunter has taken legal action against Netflix for allegedly infringing on their trademark with the popular movie “KPop Demon Hunters.” 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 bears too close a resemblance to the band’s trademark.
According to the legal complaint, Demon Hunter, founded by brothers Ryan Clark and Don Clark in Seattle in 2000, has released 13 albums and garnered significant success, selling the equivalent of one million albums when streaming figures are included. Their latest album, “There Was a Light Here,” was released in 2025.
Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters,” released in June 2025, tells the story of members of Huntrix, a K-pop girl group who also engage in demon hunting. The film has become Netflix’s most-watched movie, accumulating over 325.1 million views as of March.
Following the premiere of “KPop Demon Hunters,” Demon Hunter has faced confusion from individuals mistaking the band for the movie, as detailed in the complaint. Instances include a parent seeking a refund for concert tickets, mistakenly assuming they were for a “KPop Demon Hunters” event.
Moreover, the complaint outlines how social media users have erroneously linked the band with the hashtag #DemonHunter when discussing the movie. The lawsuit emphasizes the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and criticizes Netflix for allegedly disregarding the band’s trademark.
Demon Hunter’s legal representative, John Tehranian, declined to provide a comment on the matter. In response, Netflix issued a statement to CBC News expressing its intention to contest the lawsuit, asserting that the claims are baseless. The streaming platform lauded the success of “KPop Demon Hunters” as a global phenomenon that has resonated with audiences worldwide, pledging to vigorously defend the case.