A Christian metal band named Demon Hunter is taking legal action against Netflix for alleged trademark infringement related to the movie titled “KPop Demon Hunters.” The band’s parent company, Hyde Lane Inc., claims in a lawsuit filed on August 18, 2026, at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California that the film’s title is too reminiscent of the band’s trademark, “Demon Hunter.”
Demon Hunter, founded by brothers Ryan Clark and Don Clark in Seattle in 2000 (with Don leaving the band in 2009), has released 13 albums and achieved significant sales figures, including one million albums when considering streaming numbers. Their latest album, “There Was a Light Here,” came out in 2025.
Netflix premiered “KPop Demon Hunters” in June 2025, a movie depicting members of the K-pop girl group Huntrix who engage in demon hunting. The film has become Netflix’s most-watched movie, amassing over 325.1 million views as of March.
Following the movie’s release, Demon Hunter has faced confusion from individuals mistakenly associating the band with “KPop Demon Hunters.” For instance, the band received a ticket refund request in February from a parent who had mistakenly thought they were purchasing tickets for a show by the KPop Demon Hunters.
Moreover, the band was contacted by a producer from the show “Inside Edition” to book “Yu-Han Lee” for an interview regarding an Oscar win. However, Yu Han Lee is not linked to Demon Hunter but is a songwriter who won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Golden,” featured in “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Additionally, social media users have erroneously used the hashtag #DemonHunter in posts concerning “KPop Demon Hunters.” The legal representation for Demon Hunter, John Tehranian, has refrained from commenting at this time.
In response to the lawsuit, Netflix stated in an email to CBC News that they will contest the claims, asserting that the allegations lack merit. Netflix highlighted the global success of “KPop Demon Hunters,” an Academy Award-winning production that has resonated with audiences worldwide. The company expressed readiness to vigorously defend against the lawsuit.