Samsung puts Dua Lipa on TV packaging but lacks permission, $15 million lawsuit

The famous British pop star Dua Lipa has filed a massive lawsuit against the South Korean giant Samsung Electronics, filing a formal complaint last Friday in a federal district court in California.

At the heart of the controversy is the accusation, brought by the 30-year-old’s lawyers, that she exploited her image to promote and sell televisions without ever obtaining formal authorization nor paying any compensation.

The singer’s claimed compensation amounts to no less than $15 million, in addition to demands for punitive damages, legal fees, and a permanent injunction to block the use of her image.

According to court documents, the tech company reportedly printed a photograph of the artist directly on the cardboard packaging of a significant portion of the TVs marketed in the United States during the previous year, deceiving customers and creating the illusion of an official sponsorship.

Dua Lipa vs Samsung: details of the commercial exploitation claim

The incriminating photograph, which bears the title “Dua Lipa – Backstage at Austin City Limits, 2024“, depicts the artist backstage at the famous Texas festival before a performance. The legal documentation unambiguously states that the artist holds full ownership of the copyright and of all related intellectual property rights to that image.

The singer became aware of this large-scale marketing operation in June 2025. Since then, she has repeatedly demanded that Samsung cease using her image on the packaging. The multinational’s response, according to statements in the indictment, would have been contemptuous, indifferent, and characterized by repeated refusals, to the point that the products in question continue to be sold in stores today.

The formal charges filed by the lawyers cover a wide range of violations: copyright and trademark infringement, unauthorized commercial exploitation, up to violations of California’s right of publicity law and the federal Lanham Act.

Impact on buyers and personal brand protection

To demonstrate the concrete damage caused by this operation, Dua Lipa’s legal team attached to the filing numerous screenshots from social media. These messages show how the image printed on the boxes actually prompted many potential customers to make a purchase.

A fan wrote online that they bought the television solely because of the presence of the singer on the packaging, admitting their obsession with the artist. Another user confessed they hadn’t even planned to buy a TV, choosing to swipe their credit card only in a completely impulsive manner after noticing the box on display.

The defense notes that the artist has always been extremely selective in choosing brands to represent, entering into commercial deals only with top-tier companies such as Apple, Porsche, Versace, Bulgari and Nespresso.

Samsung’s conduct, the complaint states, ridicules the hard work the pop star has put into building a successful brand and dilutes her commercial identity, sending the public the false message that she approves and actively endorses such electronic devices.

The company’s silence and the complex legal precedents

An official spokesperson for Samsung Electronics chose not to comment on the complex matter, justifying the decision by the impossibility of publicly discussing ongoing legal proceedings.

The singer’s legal representatives also did not respond immediately to initial requests for clarification from the American press.

This new multi-million-dollar lawsuit comes at a difficult period for the South Korean group’s television sales division.

The company’s devices, in fact, have recently faced other major legal troubles: in December of last year, Samsung was named as one of the five major TV manufacturers dragged into court by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. In that case, the companies were accused of installing spyware inside the devices to track users’ habits and deliver targeted advertising.