Demon Hunter, a Christian metal band with roughly 25 years of releases and touring behind it, is taking on Netflix in federal court over its film KPop Demon Hunters.
The band, under the guise of their corporation Hyde Lane, filed a trademark lawsuit in the Central District of California against Netflix, Netflix Studios, and live events promoter AEG Presents on Tuesday (August 18).
According to the complaint, reviewed by Complex, Hyde Lane alleges trademark infringement, false designation of origin, and unfair competition.
At the center of the dispute is Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters, released in 2025 alongside a soundtrack album and branded merchandise. Netflix also filed numerous trademark applications for merchandise for its recently-announced live global concert tour in partnership with AEG.
Per the complaint, after the announcement of the KPop Demon Hunters World Tour, the defendants moved into "almost complete overlap" with the goods and services Hyde Lane had offered under the Demon Hunter name.
The filing argues the KPop Demon Hunters brand is confusingly similar to Demon Hunter's established trademark and alleges that actual consumer confusion has already occurred.
The complaint describes the confusion running in both directions: consumers may wrongly attribute the defendants' products to the band, while Netflix's vastly larger marketplace presence could lead fans to perceive Demon Hunter itself as somehow affiliated with or derived from the hit film.
As an example, they include in the filing an email from a person who spent $500 on top-tier tickets to a Demon Hunter concert in Albany, New York, mistakenly thinking that they’d be taking their 5 and 6-year old girls to a Kpop Demon Hunters show.
“Is their [sic] anyway to refund me or get me a credit or something[?]” the person asked. “If I dont get it refunded I will not be able to purchase tickets to the actual ‘K pop demon hunters show’.”
The band’s filing says that despite being the senior user with decades of invested goodwill, Hyde Lane has effectively been pushed aside by defendants with deeper pockets and a larger footprint.
The complaint accuses the defendants of being "massive companies that jealously guard and enforce their own intellectual property rights willfully disregarding the rights of others in pursuit of profits."
Hyde Lane is demanding a jury trial and asking the court to restore what it describes as its “rightful interests” in the Demon Hunter trademark and the goodwill built around it over more than two decades. They are demanding that Netflix be prevented from using the KPop Demon Hunters name, and are asking for restitution and treble damages.
Complex has reached out to Demon Hunter’s attorney for comment. This story may be updated.
