Dua Lipa Demands $15 Mln in Copyright Battle With Samsung

Dua Lipa has initiated a $15 mln legal battle against tech manufacturer Samsung, accusing the company of exploiting her likeness to sell televisions without seeking permission or offering financial compensation, Variety reports.

According to legal documents filed on Friday, the dispute centres around Samsung allegedly printing the pop star’s image on the cardboard boxes of its TVs starting last year. When Lipa’s team discovered the promotion and formally requested that the company stop using her face, Samsung allegedly responded in a «dismissive and callous» manner while refusing to halt the campaign.

«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 filing firmly adds that the singer would never have consented to such an arrangement.

Social media evidence and copyright claims

The photograph at the centre of the dispute was captured backstage at the 2024 Austin City Limits Festival. Crucially, the lawsuit highlights that Lipa herself owns the copyright to the image. Her legal team argues that Samsung has unfairly profited from the false impression that the singer officially endorsed their televisions.

To demonstrate the real-world impact of the alleged infringement, the complaint features several quotes from fans on X (formerly Twitter) who admitted the packaging directly influenced their shopping habits.

One user quoted in the legal filing confessed: «I wasn’t even planning on buying a tv but I saw the box so I decided to get it.»

Another fan declared they would buy the product purely because of the singer’s presence on the packaging, stating it was a testament to how much they loved her. A third commenter simply suggested that anyone struggling to sell a product should «just put a picture of Dua Lipa on it.»

Protecting a premium brand

The lawsuit emphasises that the chart-topping artist has carefully cultivated a «premium brand» and remains notoriously selective regarding commercial partnerships and product endorsements.

Filed in the Central District of California, the extensive complaint accuses Samsung of copyright infringement, trademark violations, a breach of the federal Lanham Act and violating the California right of publicity statute.

Samsung has not yet issued a public response regarding the allegations.