this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2026

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Christian metal band sues netflix because google won't show them anymore. (stereogum.com)

submitted 1 day ago by HotsauceHurricane@lemmy.world to c/nottheonion@lemmy.world

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[–] Steve@communick.news 186 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (32 children)

They actually have a decent case here.

They've been a band with a trademarked name for 25 years. Netflix used that same name as part if the movie title. The band can show measurable harm to their trademarked brand, by citing Google search results for Demon Hunter.

I can't imagine Netflix would change the name of the movie, but paying the band for the damage to their trademark, and compensation for having to rebrand and trademark a new band name is a reasonable cost of success for Netflix.

In short, it isn't very Oniony

[–] Dudewitbow@lemmy.zip 101 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (10 children)

The thing they have to fight though is that when you register for a trademark, it doesnt apply to every sector. Apple cannot for example and sue farm conglomerates for using the word apple on their actual apples. They do not hold the trademark in terms of produce.

For example, Nintendo lost a trademark to a supermarket in I think costa rica named "Super Mario" (it was a supermarket owned by a guy named mario), because Nintendo did not own the trademark rights to supermarkets(however they held one for food products branded it, so the same supermarket could not name their home branded products super mario)

Its a matter if the band holds the trademark for movies, as the band in the show itself is not called Demon Hunters (its Hunter/x)

[–] errer@lemmy.world 62 points 1 day ago (2 children)

The movie title is referring to a fictional band, so even if you google “demon hunters band” you’re almost certainly going to get K-Pop Demon Hunters nowadays. I wouldn’t even know how to search for them and reliably get them to show up.

…well except this news story has gone viral so now they DO show up on top. The internet is weird man.

[–] Dudewitbow@lemmy.zip 22 points 1 day ago (2 children)

search engine SEOs are a separate issue than trademarks though. there isn't any law that im aware of that requires search engines to be neutral on how searches are organized (or even if something shows at all). If Demon Hunter wants to fight against not being able to be found, theyd essentially for example, be fighting against every corporate who uses DMCA powers to force google to remove some links from being indexed.

[–] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 day ago

They're not suing Google though right? They're suing Netflix.

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[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 1 day ago (2 children)

By using the old ways of search fu.

"Demon Hunter Christian Rock -pop -k-pop -k-pop"

[–] Zorcron@lemmy.zip 18 points 1 day ago (2 children)

What search engine do you use that respects that type of search now? I’ve found that for years now Google just ignores the -pop or sometimes just ignores the “-“ and adds the thing I’m trying to avoid directly to the search query.

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 1 day ago

Yeah. Google started ignoring you more and more with it over the past like 5 years or so, but duckduckgo still uses it correctly.

[–] bort@sopuli.xyz 6 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

What search engine do you use that respects that type of search now?

kagi.

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

I hate monthly subscription anything, though. I don't want to pay $5 a month to search for things. Duckduckgo is fine, and it also works with -

[–] mobyduck648@lemmy.world 3 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

I don't think Kagi are unfair charging a subscription, it means they have financial incentives which aren't mass cyberstalking like the adtech search providers. If a commercial service is free, you are almost certainly the real product.

I'm happy with their pricing and service level, while I prefer to self-host good luck self-hosting a search engine.

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[–] kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

You are right, but this isn't a video game versus a grocery store chain comparison here. It's a real life band vs a movie of a fictional band. The question of trademark infringement is not necessarily even about direct competition or intentional use. It is about whether a reasonable consumer of their product might confuse the two names/logos.

Were the movie just about some typical warriors fighting demons and otherwise just sharing a similar name, I doubt that they would have much of a case due to lack of overlap. But as the film is about a band (even if the band itself has a different name), and the actual soundtrack for this fictional band is immensely popular and carries the film name, and they're selling live shows with the artists who created the actual music under the same name. I think they could make a really good case about consumer confusion.

Edit: They even demonstrate actual consumer confusion that has already occurred in their court filing.

To prove their point, included in the filing is an email from a person who spent $500 on top-tier tickets to a Demon Hunter concert in Albany, thinking they were purchasing admission to a KPop Demon Hunters event for their children, aged five and six.

[–] architect@thelemmy.club 2 points 14 hours ago

Yes they have proof delivered straight to them that consumers are confused. I think they have a case.

[–] moondoggie@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (3 children)

It’s hilarious that you use Apple as an example. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps_v_Apple_Computer

[–] doughless@lemmy.world 3 points 20 hours ago

That's probably why they chose Apple as an example in the first place. Apple Computers was allowed to continue using the name because their computer business didn't overlap Apple Corps' music business.

[–] W3dd1e@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 day ago

I think they are or did also sue Apple Theaters even tho Apple Theaters was operating long before Apple TV.

It’s like the Buc-ees gas station suing an underwear company because they had a squirrel logo (Buc—ees logo is a beaver).

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[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 5 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Yes and no. While they have the older brand, the term "Demon Hunter" could easily discounted as a generic and therefore not worthy of protection.

Microsoft skirted this issue with Windows (which is officially "Microsoft Windows"), and they can easily prove that their brand is associated with their product. But a third class niche band? I would not bet on it.

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[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 63 points 1 day ago (4 children)

I’m concerned that children may have been exposed to Christian “metal”. That is a traumatic experience that can ruin your enjoyment of metal, rock, and live concerts in general.

[–] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 5 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (2 children)

i mean i'm not christian but project 86 and underoath are absolutely amazing and tooth and nail had some goddamn great acts.

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[–] moondoggie@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago

Isn’t Christian metal just lead paint?

[–] smeg@feddit.uk 2 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Black Sabbath is my favorite Christian metal band

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[–] Makhno@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Demon hunter actually had some bangers back when I was in highschool

[–] riskable@programming.dev 1 points 15 hours ago

How does that work, though? It must be weird banging your head into a Bible.

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[–] natecox@programming.dev 1 points 13 hours ago (4 children)

Awful lot of simping for big daddy Netflix in this thread. I'm disappointed in you, lemmy users.

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[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 20 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I feel really bad for the mom that spent $500 for her kids to see huntrix. Poor kids must have been so disappointed.

[–] Grail@multiverse.soulism.net 19 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I feel bad for the kids, not for the mum. I think parents should take an interest in their kids' interests. If you're gonna spend 500 bucks on a band and you can't be arsed to learn their name, you gotta pay the parent-who-doesn't-care-about-your-kids-interests tax. The kids probably watched the movie 100 times, you should have been paying attention one of those times. Letting the TV parent your kids, and not even bothering to learn what the TV is saying to them, is neglect.

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[–] TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today 30 points 1 day ago

That's the thing, these guys are definitely dining out on the confusion. No "Christian metal" band is realistically charging $500 for vip tickets. Especially considering they only sold 600k records in the last 25 years and over +12 albums. They would be lucky enough to be hitting the state fair circuit.

[–] RaoulDuke25@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

Turn the other cheek you Hippocrate fuck faces.

[–] HotsauceHurricane@lemmy.world 3 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

They cant, for they have no cheeks to turn.
Poser metal band 1, the Lord 0.

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[–] Murse@slrpnk.net 11 points 1 day ago

...idk fellas, ya might want to just leave this one to the Satanists. Stick with the Gregorian chanting and call it a day. Also stop fucking altar boys.

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Good. I hope it goes to trial, and they show that the monopoly Google is unfairly fucking with search results, as we all know they do, and some sort of regulation eventually comes from it.

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