A Christian metal band, Demon Hunter, has filed a lawsuit against Netflix for trademark infringement. The band’s parent company, Hyde Lane Inc., claims that Netflix’s movie, “KPop Demon Hunters,” has caused confusion among the public due to its similarity to the band’s name. Demon Hunter, founded by brothers Ryan Clark and Don Clark in Seattle in 2000, has released 13 albums and sold one million album equivalents, including streaming figures. The most recent album, “There Was a Light Here,” was released in 2025.
Netflix’s hit movie, “KPop Demon Hunters,” released in June 2025, tells the story of members of a K-pop girl group who also work as demon hunters. The film has become Netflix’s most-watched movie, garnering over 325.1 million views by March. Following the movie’s release, Demon Hunter received inquiries from individuals who confused the band with “KPop Demon Hunters.”
In one instance cited in the complaint, Demon Hunter’s parent company received an email requesting a refund for concert tickets under the mistaken belief that they were for a “KPop Demon Hunters” show. Additionally, a producer from “Inside Edition” contacted Demon Hunter’s manager to book a member named “Yu-Han Lee” for an interview about winning an Oscar, despite Yu Han Lee being unrelated to the band and actually being a songwriter who won an Academy Award for a song featured in “KPop Demon Hunters.”
The complaint also mentions social media misuse of the hashtag #DemonHunter in relation to “KPop Demon Hunters.” The band’s lawyer, John Tehranian, declined to comment on the matter at this time. Netflix, on the other hand, stated it will challenge the lawsuit, asserting that the claims are baseless. The company emphasized the success and global impact of “KPop Demon Hunters” and expressed readiness to defend the case vigorously.
