Hyde Lane, the company behind Christian heavy metal band Demon Hunter, is suing Netflix, Netflix Studios, and concert promoter AEG Presents over the popular animated musical KPop Demon Hunters and its accompanying touring production, alleging that the upcoming live tour is creating substantial confusion among consumers (Forbes).
The lawsuit has brought national attention to Demon Hunter, with coverage from international mainstream news outlets like CNN, BBC, Reuters, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, among others.
Netflix has already responded, telling Rolling Stone that “these allegations are without merit. Netflix has created an Academy Award-winning global phenomenon with KPop Demon Hunters, inspiring fans around the world with its powerful music, storytelling, and characters. We look forward to vigorously defending this matter.”
KPop Demon Hunters was released in June 2025 and follows the K-pop girl group Huntr/x, who secretly fight demons, as they face off against the rival boy band Saja Boys, who are secretly demons. The film has reportedly been watched more than 325 million times. Its music has also become incredibly popular, with Huntr/x reportedly attracting 23.7 million monthly listeners and Saja Boys 10.3 million.
Demon Hunter was formed in Seattle in 2000 by Ryan Clark and Don Clark. The band released its self-titled debut album in 2002 and has since released numerous studio and live albums, most recently There Was a Light Here in 2025.
The Christian Post reports that the lawsuit cites an incident involving a customer who purchased $500 top-tier tickets to a Demon Hunter concert in Albany, New York, believing they were tickets to the Netflix live production. The customer later requested a refund, reportedly saying that without one, they could not afford tickets to the KPop Demon Hunter show. Hyde Lane also told The Christian Post that it has become increasingly difficult to find Demon Hunter concert listings and merchandise online because search engines favor results related to the Netflix film.
The lawsuit seeks an order requiring Netflix to stop marketing recorded music, live performances, or merchandise under the KPop Demon Hunters name.
The legal battle comes as KPop Demon Hunters continues to grow into a major entertainment franchise, potentially increasing the stakes for Demon Hunter as the Christian band works to protect its established name and online presence.
As a result, some describe the legal battle as David vs. Goliath since Demon Hunter is a small, independent band while KPop Demon Hunters is Netflix’s most-watched original film in history.