Dua Lipa has filed a $15 million federal lawsuit in California against Samsung, accusing the South Korean electronics giant of using her image on television packaging without her authorization.
The pop star’s lawyers accused Samsung of infringing her copyright and trademark rights, as well as violating her “right of publicity,” according to a lawsuit filed on Friday in U.S. District Court for Central California.
The singer is seeking over $15 million in damages. The court submissions included photos of a cardboard box featuring an image of a widescreen Samsung television that appeared to show a section of Ms. Lipa’s face displayed on the screen.
According to the lawsuit, that image — a photograph taken backstage at a music festival in Austin in 2024 — is owned by Ms. Lipa. Her lawyers said Samsung has used it without her permission on the packaging for a “significant portion” of the televisions it has sold in the United States since last year.
“Ms. Lipa did not allow and would not have allowed this use,” the filing said.
Ms. Lipa’s lawyers argued that revenue generated by Samsung from those sales was “inextricably tied to the false message conveyed to consumers that Ms. Lipa has endorsed the Infringing Products when she has not.”
Samsung said in a statement on Tuesday that it denied “any allegations of intentional or unauthorized use” of the image of Ms. Lipa, which it said was originally provided by a content partner for its free streaming service, Samsung TV Plus. It did not name the partner.
“The image was used only after receiving explicit assurance from the content partner that all necessary permissions had been secured,” Samsung said, adding that it was seeking a “constructive resolution” with Ms. Lipa and her team.
Ms. Lipa’s lawyers said that for nearly a year, Samsung had rebuffed her repeated demands that the company stop using her image on the boxes.
As part of the court filing, Ms. Lipa’s lawyers shared social media posts that they said showed that Samsung’s use of Ms. Lipa’s image on television boxes had “induced potential customers to buy them.”
“I wasn’t even planning on buying a tv but I saw the box so I decided to get it,” read one of the cited social media posts.
“I’d get that tv just because Dua is on it. That’s how obsessed I am,” said another.
In addition to damages, Ms. Lipa’s legal team has asked for Samsung to be permanently barred from using the image without her permission.
Lawyers and representatives for Ms. Lipa did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Richard Busch, a Nashville-based lawyer who specializes in copyright and trademark disputes, said the “right of publicity” gives celebrities a particular right to exploit their name and likeness. “So companies cannot do exactly what is alleged here: make it seem like the celebrity is endorsing a product they are not endorsing,” he said.
Judges have recognized the wider legal principle behind this protection for decades, Mr. Busch said, backed by a 1989 ruling in which a judge found that a commercial for Ford Motor Company could not use an imitation of the singer Bette Midler’s voice.
Jin Yu Young contributed reporting.
