Dua Lipa Sues Samsung for $15 Million Over Her Photo on TV Boxes

Singer Dua Lipa has filed a $15 million lawsuit against Samsung, claiming it used her own copyrighted photo on packaging for its televisions without permission.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in California, accuses Samsung of using a copyrighted photo of the singer on the front of television boxes sold in retail stores across the United States. According to the complaint, the company benefited from what appeared to be Dua Lipa’s endorsement of its TV products.

According to a report by Reuters, the lawsuit says the photograph used on the Samsung television boxes is titled “Dua Lipa — Backstage at Austin City Limits, 2024,” and that the singer owns all rights, title, and interest in the image. In court documents, the singer says the photo was taken before she went on stage at the Austin City Limits Festival and it is registed with the United States Copyright Office.

The complaint alleges that Samsung prominently featured the photograph of Dua Lipa’s face on multiple television models without her permission and the company ignored “repeated demands” from the singer to remove the packaging from the market.

Court documents state that the Levitating singer first became aware of the alleged infringement in June last year. According to the filing, Dua Lipa learned about the issue in June 2025 after social media users began referring to a “Dua Lipa TV Box.” The lawsuit highlights two Instagram comments as examples of consumer reaction. One user allegedly wrote they would “get that TV just because Dua is on it,” while another commented: “If you need anything selling, just put a picture of Dua Lipa on it.”

After discovering the alleged use of her image, Dua Lipa demanded that Samsung stop using the photograph. However, the filing describes Samsung’s response as “dismissive and callous” and says the company repeatedly refused to comply.

“Samsung’s copying and distribution of the DL Image constitutes willful copyright and trademark infringement, and a violation of Ms. Lipa’s right of publicity, designed to improperly capitalize on Ms. Lipa’s hard-earned success to promote and sell Samsung’s products,” the lawsuit states.

The complaint further alleges that Samsung’s unauthorized use of the image has “caused and continues to cause dilution” of Dua Lipa’s “brand identity and commercial goodwill by falsely conveying to the consuming public that she approves of and endorses” the televisions and related products.

Image credits: Header photo (left) licensed via Depositphotos and (right) via court documents.