British singer Dua Lipa has taken legal action against Samsung Electronics, suing the tech giant for a minimum of $15 million in damages. The lawsuit claims that Samsung unlawfully utilized her image to promote their television sets without her consent. Allegedly, Samsung featured a copyrighted image of Dua Lipa on the packaging of TV boxes sold in retail stores, implying her endorsement of the product.
The image in question, titled “Dua Lipa – Backstage at Austin City Limits, 2024,” is owned by Dua Lipa, according to the lawsuit filed in a California federal court last Friday. Samsung Electronics declined to provide a comment on the ongoing litigation, while there was no immediate response from Dua Lipa’s legal representatives.
Apart from copyright and trademark violations, Dua Lipa has accused Samsung Electronics of violating her publicity rights. Her legal team submitted social media screenshots and comments as evidence, asserting that the presence of her image on the TV boxes influenced consumers to make purchases. One fan comment highlighted in the filing stated their intention to buy the TV solely because Dua Lipa was featured on it.
Dua Lipa reportedly discovered Samsung’s alleged infringement in June of the previous year and requested that the company cease using her image. Despite her demands, Samsung refused to comply, leading to what Lipa’s lawyers claim to be a detrimental impact on her brand identity and commercial reputation. The unauthorized use of Dua Lipa’s image by Samsung has allegedly misled the public into believing that she supports and endorses the products in question.