Dua Lipa, the 30-year-old British pop superstar, has filed a lawsuit against Samsung for $15 million in a battle over the unauthorized use of her image in a global TV marketing campaign. The lawsuit, filed on Friday, alleges that Samsung used a photo of Lipa's face to sell TVs without obtaining her permission or offering any compensation.
According to the complaint, Lipa's face was prominently featured in a mass marketing campaign for a consumer product without her knowledge, consideration, or input. "Ms. Lipa did not allow and would not have allowed this use," the filing alleges.
The suit alleges that Samsung began using Lipa's image on marketing materials and cardboard boxes carrying its TVs worldwide at the start of 2025. Lipa owns the copyright to the photo in question, which was taken backstage at the Austin City Limits Festival in 2024.
When Lipa discovered the advertising, she requested that Samsung stop using the photo, but the company was "dismissive and callous," according to the suit, and refused her request.
The lawsuit alleges that Samsung has earned money from using Lipa's picture and appearing to have her endorsement, which it does not. The filing includes comments from Lipa's fans on social media platforms that suggest some customers were inspired to buy Samsung's TVs because they thought Lipa had endorsed the product.
One comment quoted in the complaint reads, "I wasn’t even planning on buying a TV, but I saw the box so I decided to get it." Another wrote on Instagram, "I’d get that TV just because Dua Lipa is on it."
Lipa's lawsuit accuses Samsung of copyright infringement, right of publicity violation, and false endorsement. The superstar is seeking at least $15 million in damages, as well as the profits that Samsung allegedly made due to their use of her image.
Her team alleges that Samsung violated California's right of publicity law, a federal Lanham Act claim, and trademark claims, which protect celebrities from their public identities being used for unauthorized commercial reasons.
Samsung and Lipa's representatives did not immediately respond to The Independent's request for comment. This is not the first time that Lipa has had to protect her image in court. Last year, she won a lawsuit against two songwriters that claimed she copied the melody of her hit song "Levitating" from disco tracks they had written.
The songwriters, L Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer, sued Lipa in 2022 and accused her of copying their 1979 track "Wiggle and Giggle All Night" and their 1980 song "Don Diablo." However, the judge concluded that the similar elements of the songs "lacked sufficient originality alone" to be protected under copyright law.
