Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for at least $15 million (plus potentially profits, punitive damages, etc.) after the company allegedly used a photo of her on television packaging without permission.
The lawsuit, filed recently (May 8) in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, claims Samsung printed a backstage image of the singer on boxes for several TV models sold across the United States.
The photo was supposedly taken at Austin City Limits Festival in 2024, and Lipa owns the copyright. The singer alleges that she did not know about the packaging until people online began posting about what some users called the “Dua Lipa TV Box” around June of last year.
The lawsuit points to social media reactions as evidence that the photo in question drove sales, quoting users who said they would buy the television solely because Dua Lipa’s photo was on the packaging.
It further accuses Samsung of copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and misappropriation of likeness.
The complaint also claims that Samsung ignored multiple cease and desist requests sent by Lipa’s representatives after the image surfaced online in 2025 and refused to pull the packaging from the market despite repeated demands, per the complaint.
Samsung, however, has not publicly responded to the allegations.
The case adds to a growing number of disputes involving celebrity likeness rights and commercial branding. Rihanna’s successful 2013 lawsuit against Topshop for using her image on T-shirts without permission, Michael Jordan’s multimillion-dollar win against a grocery chain for unauthorized use of his name and likeness in advertising, and Vanna White’s case against Samsung for a commercial that evoked her image are some such examples.
Sources: Justia Dockets, Pitchfork