SEATTLE, Wash. — A Seattle-based Christian heavy metal band, Demon Hunter, has sued Netflix over the use of the name in the streaming giant’s hit animated film KPop Demon Hunters.
The band filed the trademark infringement lawsuit on August 18, 2026, naming Netflix, Netflix Studios and concert promoter AEG Presents as defendants. The case was filed in federal court in Los Angeles and comes as Netflix expands the KPop Demon Hunters franchise into live entertainment.
The dispute centers on the similarity between the band’s established Demon Hunter name and Netflix’s fictional K-pop universe, which features the girl group Huntr/x and the film KPop Demon Hunters.
The band’s management company, Hyde Lane, argues that Netflix’s enormous reach has created what lawyers describe as “reverse confusion.”
In a reverse-confusion case, a much larger company allegedly uses a similar name or mark and becomes so dominant in the marketplace that consumers begin to believe the smaller, original brand copied the larger company.
According to the lawsuit, Demon Hunter has spent about 25 years building its identity and audience, only for Netflix’s blockbuster franchise to overshadow the band’s name.
The band describes the situation as an “existential crisis,” arguing that Netflix’s enormous commercial footprint has effectively drowned out its established identity.
The complaint also points to alleged real-world examples of confusion.
One incident cited in the case involved a parent who reportedly spent $500 on tickets to a Demon Hunter metal concert in Albany, New York, believing the tickets were for a child-friendly event connected to KPop Demon Hunters.
The band says the incident demonstrates how the similarity could affect consumers as Netflix continues expanding the franchise
The lawsuit comes at a time when KPop Demon Hunters has become one of Netflix’s biggest entertainment successes.
Released in 2025, the animated musical follows a fictional K-pop girl group that secretly protects its fans from supernatural threats. Its combination of K-pop, animation, action and fantasy has turned the film into a global cultural phenomenon.
The movie has reportedly surpassed 325 million views, making it Netflix’s most-watched original film.
Its soundtrack has also achieved major commercial success. The album spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while the song “Golden” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks.
The film also collected major awards in 2026, including Best Animated Film and Best Original Song at both the Golden Globes and Academy Awards.
That success has transformed KPop Demon Hunters from a standalone animated movie into a major entertainment franchise.
Although the film debuted in 2025, Demon Hunter’s lawsuit points to Netflix’s move into live entertainment as a major catalyst for the dispute.
Netflix and AEG Presents announced plans for a global live concert tour based on the KPop Demon Hunters universe.
The band argues that expanding the franchise into live performances increases the likelihood that consumers will confuse its own concerts and merchandise with Netflix-related events.
Demon Hunter is already an established touring act, making the overlap particularly significant. The band wants the court to prevent Netflix from using the disputed name in connection with recorded music, live performances and merchandise.
It is also seeking unspecified financial damages.
Hyde Lane registered “Demon Hunter” as a trademark for recorded music and merchandise in 2022. The company also has a pending trademark application covering live music.
Netflix, meanwhile, owns several registered and pending trademarks connected to KPop Demon Hunters, particularly in merchandise-related categories.
Netflix has rejected the lawsuit’s claims.
A company spokesperson described the allegations as “completely without merit” and said Netflix looks forward to “vigorously defending this matter” in court.
The band argues that Netflix’s success has made its own name increasingly difficult to distinguish online and in the marketplace.
