Dua Lipa sues Samsung for $15m over use of her image on TV boxes

Pop star Dua Lipa has filed a $15m (£11m) lawsuit against Samsung, alleging it used her image on packaging for its televisions without permission.

Lipa alleges that Samsung prominently used a photograph of her face without consent on television models sold in the US, according to a lawsuit filed on Friday in California.

Samsung's packaging was "designed to improperly capitalize on Ms. Lipa's hard-earned success to promote and sell Samsung's products", the filing said.

Samsung denied the allegations, telling the BBC the image was provided by a third party and "used only after receiving explicit assurance from the content partner that permission had been secured".

The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California, includes allegations of copyright infringement, trademark infringement and misappropriation of Lipa's likeness and image.

According to the lawsuit, the image was taken during the singer's 2024 Austin City Limits Festival performance and Lipa owns the copyright to the photograph.

Lipa first became aware of her appearance on Samsung boxes in June 2025, the lawsuit said. Fans on social media also began posting about it, describing it as the "Dua Lipa TV Box".

The lawsuit pointed to two specific Instagram comments, one where a user said they would "get that TV just because Dua is on it," and another that read: "If you need anything selling just put a picture of Dua Lipa on it".

According to the 30-year-old singer's legal team, Samsung apparently ignored "repeated demands" to "cease and desist from infringing on her rights".

Lipa has a number of commercial partnerships with brands including Puma, Versace, and Yves Saint Laurent, as referenced in the court filing.

She has also collaborated with brands like Apple, Porsche and Chanel, and more recently became a global ambassador for Nespresso.

Her most recent album, Radical Optimism, was released in 2024.

Samsung's statement said: "Ms. Lipa's image was used in 2025 to reflect the content of our third-party partners that is available on Samsung TVs and was originally provided by a content partner for our free streaming service Samsung TV Plus. The image was used only after receiving explicit assurance from the content partner that permission had been secured, including for the retail boxes. Given this assurance, we deny any allegations of intentional misuse.

"Samsung has great respect for Ms. Lipa and the intellectual property of all artists. We have actively sought and remain open to a constructive resolution with Ms. Lipa's team."