Dua Lipa Sues Samsung for $15m Over Alleged Image Misuse
British pop star Dua Lipa has filed a lawsuit against Samsung Electronics, seeking $15 million in damages over allegations that the tech giant used her image without permission to market its television sets.
According to court documents filed Friday in a California federal court, Samsung allegedly featured a copyrighted image of the singer on the front of cardboard boxes containing televisions for retail sale, creating the impression that she endorsed the product.
The lawsuit states that the image in question, titled “Dua Lipa – Backstage at Austin City Limits, 2024,” is fully owned by the pop star, who holds all rights, title, and interest in the photograph.
Besides copyright and trademark infringement, Dua Lipa has also accused Samsung Electronics of violating her publicity rights.
Lipa’s legal team attached screenshots of social media posts and consumer comments to support the claim that her image influenced purchasing decisions. One of these screenshots shows a fan commenting that they would get the TV “just because Dua is on it.”
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The “Levitating” singer became aware of Samsung’s alleged infringement in June last year and demanded that Samsung stop using her image, but the electronics manufacturer repeatedly refused to do so, her lawyers said.
Samsung’s alleged unauthorised use of Dua Lipa’s image has “caused and continues to cause dilution” of the pop star’s “brand identity and commercial goodwill by falsely conveying to the consuming public that she approves of and endorses” the products in question, they added.
A spokesperson for Samsung Electronics declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation, while Dua Lipa’s legal representatives did not immediately respond to media inquiries.