Pop star Dua Lipa filed a federal lawsuit against Samsung on Friday, alleging the electronics giant used a copyrighted photograph of her on the packaging of televisions sold across the United States without her permission, seeking $15 million in damages.
Dua Lipa has taken legal action against Samsung Electronics in the US District Court for the Central District of California, accusing the South Korean technology giant of using her likeness to market its television products without authorisation.
The lawsuit alleges Samsung featured a photograph — identified in the complaint as 'Dua Lipa - Backstage at Austin City Limits, 2024' — on the front of cardboard boxes used to package televisions of various sizes sold throughout the United States. Lipa's legal team asserts she holds all 'rights, title, and interest' in the image.
The complaint lodges three distinct legal claims against Samsung: copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and a violation of Lipa's right of publicity — a legal protection that prevents the commercial use of a person's name, image or likeness without consent.
'Samsung mass-manufactured, distributed (or caused to be distributed), marketed, and sold in interstate commerce across the United States a vast number of its televisions in various sizes in these cardboard boxes containing the image,' the lawsuit states.
The right of publicity claim is significant, as it goes beyond traditional intellectual property law and directly addresses Samsung's alleged commercial exploitation of Lipa's celebrity identity to promote its products.
Samsung has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit. The company is one of the world's largest consumer electronics manufacturers and a dominant player in the global television market.
The case raises broader questions about how companies source and licence imagery for product packaging, particularly in an era where photographs circulate widely online and the line between publicly available and legally usable images is frequently blurred.
Lipa, a Grammy-winning artist known for hits including 'Levitating' and 'Don't Start Now,' has built a significant global brand extending well beyond music, making the unauthorised commercial use of her image a matter of both financial and reputational concern.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The case highlights ongoing tensions between corporations and celebrities over the commercial use of images sourced — intentionally or not — from publicly circulating photographs, with implications for how product packaging is approved and vetted.
- A $15 million damages claim against a major multinational signals that celebrity plaintiffs are increasingly willing to pursue large-scale litigation over right-of-publicity violations.
- The outcome could set a precedent influencing how consumer electronics companies and other manufacturers vet imagery used on physical product packaging.
Background
Right-of-publicity laws in the United States vary by state but broadly protect individuals — particularly celebrities — from having their name, image or likeness used for commercial purposes without consent. California, where this lawsuit was filed, has some of the strongest such protections in the country, reflecting its status as the centre of the entertainment industry.
Copyright law adds a further layer of protection: even if an image is widely circulated online, the copyright typically remains with the photographer or the subject, depending on the agreement between them. Using such an image on commercial packaging without a licence can expose companies to significant liability.
High-profile right-of-publicity and image-rights cases have become increasingly common as celebrities expand their personal brands and as digital images spread more rapidly and unpredictably than ever before. Past cases have seen substantial settlements or judgments against companies that failed to secure proper licences.
Key Perspectives
Dua Lipa / Plaintiff: Lipa's legal team argues that Samsung commercially exploited her image and global celebrity status to sell televisions without compensation or consent, causing financial damage and potentially misleading consumers into associating her with Samsung products.
Samsung: The company has not yet commented publicly. Its defence may centre on how the image was sourced, whether it was obtained through a third-party marketing or packaging supplier, and whether any licence was believed to be in place — a common complexity in large corporate supply chains.
Critics/Skeptics: Some legal observers may question the valuation of $15 million in damages and whether Lipa can demonstrate that Samsung's use of her image caused measurable financial harm beyond what statutory damages might cover. The case's strength will depend heavily on the chain of custody of the image and Samsung's internal approval processes.
What to Watch
- Samsung's formal legal response, which may reveal how the image came to appear on its packaging and whether a licensing error by a third-party supplier is involved.
- Whether the case proceeds to trial or settles out of court — the majority of celebrity image-rights cases resolve through negotiated settlements.
- Any broader industry response, particularly from consumer electronics manufacturers reviewing their own packaging approval and image-licensing processes.