A Christian metal band named Demon Hunter has taken legal action against Netflix, alleging trademark infringement due to the streaming platform’s popular movie, KPop Demon Hunters. A complaint filed on August 18, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by lawyers representing Hyde Lane Inc., the parent company of Demon Hunter, asserts that the film’s title bears a striking resemblance to the band’s trademarked name. According to the complaint, Hyde Lane holds the trademark for “Demon Hunter.”
The legal document describes the situation as a clash between large corporations that vigorously protect their intellectual property rights while neglecting the rights of others in the pursuit of financial gain. Founded in Seattle in 2000 by siblings Ryan Clark and Don Clark, the Demon Hunter band has released 13 albums and achieved sales equivalent to one million albums, including streaming figures. Their most recent album, There Was a Light Here, was released in 2025.
Netflix premiered KPop Demon Hunters in June 2025, a film depicting members of a K-pop girl group, Huntrix, who double as demon hunters. The movie has become Netflix’s most-viewed film, amassing over 325.1 million views as of March. Following the film’s release, Demon Hunter received inquiries from individuals who mistakenly associated the band with KPop Demon Hunters, as stated in the complaint.
In one instance cited in the complaint, Demon Hunter’s parent company received an email in February requesting a refund for concert tickets, mistakenly believed to be for a KPop Demon Hunters event. Additionally, a producer from the TV show Inside Edition contacted Demon Hunter’s manager to schedule an interview with “Yu-Han Lee,” who is not affiliated with the band but is a songwriter who won an Oscar in 2026 for the song “Golden” featured in KPop Demon Hunters.
Furthermore, social media users have erroneously used the hashtag #DemonHunter when discussing KPop Demon Hunters. The complaint emphasizes that Netflix lacks the entitlement to use the KPop Demon Hunters mark, drawing a parallel to hypothetical scenarios involving well-known music acts like Metallica, U2, and Black Sabbath.
John Tehranian, the band’s legal representative, declined to provide a comment at this time. Netflix responded to CBC News via email, asserting that the allegations are baseless and expressing its commitment to defending the lawsuit. The company highlighted the global success of KPop Demon Hunters and its impact on fans worldwide through its music, storytelling, and characters.
