British singer Dua Lipa has taken legal action against Samsung Electronics, seeking over $15 million in damages. The lawsuit claims that Samsung used an image of the pop star without permission to promote its television sets by featuring the image on the front of TV boxes for sale. The image in question, titled “Dua Lipa – Backstage at Austin City Limits, 2024,” is copyrighted, and Lipa holds all rights to it. The lawsuit was filed in a California federal court.
Samsung Electronics declined to comment on the ongoing litigation, while Dua Lipa’s legal team has not yet responded to requests for comment. Lipa alleges that Samsung’s unauthorized use of her image has infringed on her copyright, trademark, and publicity rights.
Lipa’s lawyers presented social media screenshots and comments indicating that customers were influenced to purchase the TVs because of her image on the packaging. Despite Lipa’s warnings to cease the use of her image, Samsung allegedly continued to do so, causing harm to her brand identity and commercial reputation by misleading consumers into thinking she endorsed the products.