Christian Metal Band Demon Hunter Sues Netflix Over ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ Citing Trademark Infringement

Demon Hunter, a Christian metal band from Seattle, has filed a lawsuit against Netflix and AEG Presents over the animated film "KPop Demon Hunters." The band, which operates under the corporate entity Hyde Lane, claims trademark infringement and unfair competition. They have registered the "Demon Hunter" trademark in several categories, including music and merchandise.

According to the lawsuit, there has been confusion among fans and others, with one fan reportedly spending $500 on concert tickets for "KPop Demon Hunters" thinking it was a kid-friendly event, only to find it was a metal concert. A TV producer also reached out to the band thinking they were associated with the film. The band cites social media posts that have mistakenly tagged them in discussions about the movie.

The lawsuit highlights the significant difference in popularity between the two, with Demon Hunter having around 350,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, compared to 27 million for the "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack. Demon Hunter registered their trademark in 2022, with a live-performance application pending. Netflix also holds trademark registrations for "KPop Demon Hunters." Variety reports that Demon Hunter is suing for trademark infringement and unfair competition.

Brief written by urgent.news from Variety, Gulf News — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.