Pop star Dua Lipa has filed a $15 million lawsuit against Samsung Electronics in a California federal court, alleging the tech giant used a photograph of her without her permission or payment on the packaging of its television sets, and continued doing so even after she sent formal cease-and-desist demands.
The lawsuit, filed on 9 May 2026, centres on a photograph taken backstage at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2024.
Samsung began using the image on the cardboard packaging of its televisions in 2025. Lipa says she first became aware of the unauthorised use in June 2025 and immediately demanded the company remove it.
Samsung did not.
What the Dua Lipa Samsung lawsuit says
Lipa’s legal team filed the complaint in a California district court, listing claims of copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and a violation of the California right of publicity statute, which protects individuals from having their image commercially exploited without consent.
The suit also includes a federal Lanham Act claim, which covers false endorsement, meaning Samsung’s use of her image implied she had endorsed its products when she had not.
The complaint describes Samsung as having been “dismissive and callous” toward Lipa’s repeated demands to remove the image.
It includes screenshots of social media comments suggesting that at least some consumers were influenced to buy Samsung televisions by what appeared to be an endorsement from the singer. One commenter, quoted directly in the filing, wrote:
“I wasn’t even planning on buying a tv but I saw the box so I decided to get it.”
Lipa’s team argues this is exactly the commercial harm her right of publicity is designed to prevent.
Why this case matters beyond the numbers
The $15 million figure is the floor, not the ceiling. The complaint also seeks punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and a court order blocking any further use of the image.
With Samsung’s global TV business running into billions in revenue, Lipa’s legal team will likely argue the actual commercial benefit Samsung derived from her likeness was substantially higher.
As reported by Variety, Lipa has cultivated what her legal team describes as a “premium brand,” and the core argument is that placing her face on mass-market consumer product packaging without a deal fundamentally undermines the commercial value of that brand.
Samsung has not issued a public response to the lawsuit. Lipa’s legal team will now push for discovery, and Samsung will likely file a motion to have some or all claims dismissed.
If the case proceeds to trial, it could set a significant precedent around the commercial use of celebrity images on product packaging.
