Christian metal band Demon Hunter has sued Netflix and concert promoter AEG Presents in California federal court, alleging trademark infringement and unfair competition over the use of the KPop Demon Hunters name.
The band said the title of Netflix’s hit film, along with the planned concert tour and merchandise tied to it, has caused consumer confusion and threatened to overwhelm its own brand, which it says predates the movie by decades.
Demon Hunter, formed in Seattle in 2000, said it has spent more than 20 years building goodwill around its name through albums, touring and merchandise. In the lawsuit, the band argued that Netflix and its partners moved into “almost complete overlap” with the goods and services associated with its mark.
“Demon Hunter [is] a well- known and celebrated metal band. Demon Hunter was formed at the turn of the century and, in the quarter-century since, it has consistently released albums, toured, and sold merchandise to a large and dedicated audience,” the filing stated.
“Unfortunately, in 2025, Netflix and Netflix Studios—despite almost certainly being aware of Demon Hunter—chose to release a movie titled ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ … [which] reached unprecedented levels of success, not only as a film on Netflix’s streaming service, but also via the ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ movie soundtrack album and merchandise.”
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The lawsuit also points to Netflix’s partnership with AEG to launch a global concert tour for the film, which is set to travel to 150 cities.
“In short, in just a year’s time, Defendants have taken step after step to move into almost complete overlap with the goods and services offered by Hyde Lane under the Demon Hunter mark,” the suit claimed.
“As a result of their adoption and exploitation of the ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ brand, which is confusingly similar to senior user Hyde Lane’s established Demon Hunter mark, junior users Netflix, Netflix Studios, and AEG have created a substantial likelihood of confusion (and, indeed, actual confusion has already resulted), leading consumers to believe the parties’ goods or services are affiliated, sponsored, or otherwise connected with one another.”
According to the filing, the band says it has already felt the impact. It alleged that it has had to “bear the reputational and commercial consequences” and that Netflix’s larger reach has eclipsed its own identity in the marketplace.
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“Even more devastatingly, by leveraging their superior resources and reach, Defendants can, and do, eclipse Hyde Lane’s Demon Hunter marks in the marketplace and effectively misappropriate the marks’ source-identifying significance,” the lawsuit added.
“Thus, Defendants’ greater size and strength overwhelms Hyde Lane’s established identity, causing consumers to perceive Hyde Lane as affiliated with, sponsored by, or derived from Defendants and denuding Hyde Lane of power over its commercial fate.”
The complaint says the band established the mark first and has invested in it for decades, describing Demon Hunter as the senior user. It also alleged the group has been “forced to surrender control over its commercial identity simply because Defendants have greater resources and a larger marketplace footprint.”
The lawsuit includes claims for trademark infringement, unfair competition and false designation of origin, and the band is seeking a jury trial, treble damages, exemplary damages, injunctive relief, Netflix’s profits and attorneys’ fees.
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“Simply put, Netflix is no more entitled to use the mark KPOP DEMON HUNTERS than it would be to launch a recording artist, live touring show and merchandise under the marks KPOP METALLICA, KPOP U2 or KPOP BLACK SABBATH,” the lawsuit said.
Netflix rejected the allegations, saying in a statement that the case lacks merit.
“These allegations are without merit. Netflix has created an Academy Award-winning global phenomenon with ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ that has inspired fans around the world with its powerful music, storytelling and characters. We look forward to vigorously defending this matter.”
