Topline

A Christian heavy metal band that has been performing under the name Demon Hunter for more than two decades is suing Netflix over its extremely popular “Kpop Demon Hunters” animated musical and touring band of the same name, claiming it has caused “substantial confusion” among consumers.

Key Facts

Hyde Lane, the company behind the Demon Hunter band, sued Netflix, Netflix Studios and concert promoter AEG Presents after the streamer announced a global concert tour inspired by the hit animated film.

The company wants Netflix to be barred from using the KPop Demon Hunters name in connection with any recorded music, live performances or merchandise, and is also seeking unspecified damages.

The lawsuit claims Netflix “almost certainly” knew a band called Demon Hunter already existed when it named the film and that the "unprecedented levels" of success reached by the film, its soundtrack and merchandise, has confused listeners and fans.

The lawsuit mentions a buyer who spent $500 on top-tier tickets for a Demon Hunter concert in Albany, New York, believing they were buying tickets for the Netflix live production, then asked for a refund claiming that, without one, they won’t be able to afford tickets to the “actual” KPop Demon Hunters show.

The complaint says a television producer has approached Demon Hunter’s management thinking they were in touch with KPop Demon Hunters, and social media users regularly tag the band in posts about the film.

CRUCIAL QUOTE

“Despite having established the mark first and invested in the goodwill associated with it for decades, Hyde Lane… Has effectively been forced to surrender control over its commercial identity simply because Defendants have greater resources and a larger marketplace footprint,” the complaint reads.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Hyde Lane already has a trademark covering recorded music and merchandise under the “Demon Hunter” name, but Netflix also has several pending trademarks for “KPop Demon Hunters” for merchandise uses. Hyde Lane has also since also applied for trademark protection related to live music.

Key background

"KPop Demon Hunters” took the world by storm when it was released in June 2025. The film follows K-pop girl group Huntr/x (secret demon hunters) as they challenge rival boy band Saja Boys (secretly demons). It boasts a 91% critics score and 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and has been praised for its "catchy hits" and as a "dazzling watch." "KPop" knocked "Happy Gilmore 2," which had Netflix’s biggest opening weekend ever in the U.S., out of the No. 1 spot after just two weeks and by last August had surpassed 2021’s “Red Notice” as the most-watched Netflix film of all time. To date, it has been watched more than 325.1 million times.

SURPRISING FACT

The music from the film has been just as popular, if not more, as the movie itself. The film’s soundtrack broke a record to become the first soundtrack to ever chart four simultaneous top 10 songs, with "Golden,” “Your Idol,” “Soda Pop” and “How It's Done.” As a Spotify artist, the Huntr/x band has 23.7 million monthly listeners on the platform and Saja Boys has 10.3 million. The "KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack" reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in September of last year, joining soundtracks like Whitney Houston’s "The Bodyguard," "Saturday Night Fever" and "Purple Rain" in hitting the coveted milestone.