The strange reason Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for $15 million

British pop star Dua Lipa is suing Samsung Electronics for at least $15 million in damages alleging the South Korean electronics company illegally used a copyrighted image of her without permission.

The legal complaint filed Friday in the United States District Court for the Central District of California alleges Samsung used an image of Lipa for some of its television cardboard boxes in circulation last year. According to the lawsuit, Lipa accuses Samsung of violating her “right of publicity” as well as infringing on her copyright and trademark rights.

The image in question is allegedly taken from a performance at the Austin City Limits music festival in 2024. According to the lawsuit, Lipa and her team repeatedly asked Samsung to stop using the image for Samsung’s packaging after becoming aware of it in June 2025. In response, Samsung was “dismissive and callous,” repeatedly refusing the demand.

“Ms. Lipa’s face was prominently used for a mass marketing campaign for a consumer product without her knowledge, without consideration, and as to which she had no say, control, or input whatsoever,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit also states that Lipa would not have allowed the partnership in the first place as she is “highly selective” of her endorsements, which include Apple, Porsche, Versace, Bulgari and Nespresso.

Beyond the copyright issue, the lawsuit also addresses the mixed signals sent by the packaging, which might influence consumer spending in favor of the brand and its ties to a celebrity. For instance, Lipa’s lawyers also shared screenshots of users online sharing how her image influenced their purchase. 

“I’d get that tv just because Dua is on it. That’s how obsessed I am,” said another,” one social media post cited in the lawsuit says.

Since the lawsuit has become public, more users have taken to social media to share similar thoughts.
 “Dua Lipa deserves compensation,” one user  said on X, “The only reason I bought my Samsung TV back in 2019 was this woman’s face. It was nothing to do with the tv quality or the price or the features.”

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