LOS ANGELES, Aug 21 — A battle over demon hunting has moved from the animated screen to a California courtroom.
Christian metal band Demon Hunter has sued Netflix and concert giant AEG Presents, accusing them of infringing its trademarks as the streaming platform prepares to take its hit KPop Demon Hunters franchise on tour.
According to Reuters, the Seattle-formed band filed the lawsuit in California federal court on Tuesday (August 18), arguing that Netflix’s expansion of the film into ‘live’ music and merchandise risks confusing audiences and overwhelming the identity Demon Hunter has spent more than two decades building.
The complaint does not exactly tiptoe around the comparison.
“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 has rejected the claim.
“The allegations are without merit,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday, adding: “We look forward to vigorously defending this matter.”
Demon Hunter formed in Seattle in 2000 and has continued recording and touring since, releasing its most recent album last year. The band is due to head out on a US tour in October.
Its new legal opponent, however, has become considerably harder to ignore.
Netflix released KPop Demon Hunters in June 2025, following fictional K-pop stars who juggle their pop careers with the altogether less conventional side hustle of fighting demons.
The film went on to become Netflix’s most-watched movie, according to the streamer, and later won Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.
Netflix then announced a partnership with AEG Presents in May to turn the film into a live touring production.
That move appears to be at the centre of Demon Hunter’s complaint.
The band argues that bringing KPop Demon Hunters into concerts and merchandise puts Netflix increasingly close to the same market in which it operates — and says the confusion has already begun.
According to the lawsuit, one parent contacted Demon Hunter seeking a refund after mistakenly purchasing tickets to the metal band’s concert instead of the KPop Demon Hunters ‘live’ show.
In another mix-up, the band said an Inside Edition producer emailed seeking an interview with someone believed to be one of the movie’s songwriters.
“As a result of Defendants’ wilful misconduct,” the complaint said, the band “now faces an existential crisis, thereby necessitating the filing of this action”.
Demon Hunter is asking a court to prevent Netflix and AEG from using KPop Demon Hunters for music, merchandise or the promotion of ‘live’ concerts, and is also seeking unspecified monetary damages.
