Pop star Dua Lipa has filed a lawsuit against Samsung Electronics, accusing the tech giant of using her image without permission to market its television sets. The lawsuit, filed on Friday in California federal court, seeks $21 million in damages.
According to the filing, Samsung featured a copyrighted image of Lipa on the front of cardboard boxes containing televisions for retail sale. The image, titled "Dua Lipa — Backstage at Austin City Limits, 2024," allegedly enabled the company to benefit from what seemed like her endorsement of the product.
Lipa is the owner of all rights, title and interest in the image, the lawsuit said. Besides copyright and trademark infringement, she has accused Samsung of breaching publicity rights.
Lipa's lawyers attached screenshots of social media postings and comments in the filing, claiming that the pop star's image on the boxes pushed potential customers to purchase the product. One screenshot shows a fan commenting that they would get the TV "just because Dua is on it."
The Levitating singer became aware of Samsung's alleged infringement in June last year and demanded the company stop using her image, but Samsung repeatedly refused to do so, her lawyers said. Samsung's alleged unauthorised use of Lipa's image has "caused and continues to cause dilution" of her "brand identity and commercial goodwill by falsely conveying to the consuming public that she approves of and endorses" the products in question, they added.
A spokesperson for Samsung Electronics declined to comment, saying it was unable to comment on pending litigation. Dua Lipa's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case.
