British singer Dua Lipa is taking legal action against Samsung Electronics, seeking a minimum of $15 million in damages. The lawsuit claims that Samsung utilized an image of the pop star without authorization to promote their television sets by featuring her picture on the packaging of TV boxes sold in stores. The image in question, named “Dua Lipa – Backstage at Austin City Limits, 2024,” is copyrighted, and Lipa owns all rights to it. The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in California on Friday.
Samsung Electronics declined to provide a comment on the ongoing legal matter. Dua Lipa’s legal representatives have not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the case. In addition to alleging copyright and trademark violations, Lipa accuses Samsung of infringing on her publicity rights.
Included in the legal filing are screenshots of social media interactions where fans expressed a willingness to purchase the TV because of Dua Lipa’s image on the packaging. Lipa first became aware of Samsung’s alleged misuse of her image in June of the previous year and demanded that the company cease using her likeness. Despite her requests, Samsung reportedly continued to feature her image on their products.
The unauthorized use of Dua Lipa’s image by Samsung has been claimed to harm her brand identity and commercial reputation by misleading consumers into thinking she endorses the products.