A Christian heavy metal band is suing Netflix, over a name shared with a fictional KPop band: “Demon Hunters”.
KPop Demon Hunters is a film set in a fictionalised version of the Korean pop industry. It sees bubblegum-coloured characters with long hair and luminescent swords fight against dark magical beings. Songs including Golden and Your Idol from its soundtrack topped the US charts, making its characters the highest-charting KPop artists in the States.
Christian band Demon Hunter has been writing Bible-based metal for 25 years. Its most popular songs include Jesus Wept, with lyrics such as: "Show me the weight of a fury divine / Bury the dark inside, let waste the flood / Drown us in holy blood," and I Will Fail You, which centres on human weakness and sings: "I will fail you, of that I'm sure / I will remind you of the pain forevermore / And when my sins are just a memory, faith restored / I will fail you to the core".
The band's lawyers now allege that the cartoon poses an “existential threat” to their client. They have requested that Netflix cease using the name "KPop Demon Hunters" for live events, recorded music and merchandise, which they claim clashes with their trademark.
The lawsuit included an email from someone who allegedly spent $500 on tickets for a Demon Hunter concert, thinking it was a child-friendly event.
KPop Demon Hunters is Netflix's most globally successful film, with a sequel in the works.