Dua Lipa sues Samsung over alleged TV packaging image use

Dua Lipa has sued Samsung in a California federal court seeking at least $15 million, alleging the company used her image on television packaging in a US marketing push without permission or payment. According to The Guardian, the complaint says Samsung printed a photo of the singer’s face on cardboard boxes for a “significant portion” of TVs sold in the US in 2025, creating the impression of an endorsement.

The filing describes a familiar collision between mass retail logistics and celebrity licensing economics. Packaging is not a one-off advert that can be swapped out quietly; once printed, it moves through warehouses, retailers and returns channels for months, and every unit becomes a small billboard in stores and homes. The lawsuit says Dua Lipa became aware of the image use in June 2025 and demanded Samsung stop, but that the company was dismissive and refused to do so. If the claim is accurate, the alleged calculation is straightforward: the cost of asking first includes negotiation, limits on use, and a price set by the artist; the cost of not asking is a legal risk that can be delayed and, in some cases, settled.

The complaint also leans on the way modern marketing is measured. The Guardian reports that the lawsuit quotes social media comments from fans saying they would buy Samsung TVs because her image appeared on the box. That kind of traceable consumer reaction is useful in court because it turns a vague reputational claim into a record of conversion intent. Dua Lipa’s filing argues the campaign deprived her of control over when and how her likeness is monetised, and that it undermined a brand strategy built on selective endorsements, with past deals cited including Apple, Porsche, Versace, Bulgari and Nespresso.

Beyond the headline figure, the legal menu is broad: the complaint alleges copyright infringement, violation of California’s right of publicity statute, a claim under the federal Lanham Act, and trademark claims. One detail matters for how the dispute is priced: the lawsuit says Dua Lipa owns the copyright to the photograph, taken backstage before a performance at the Austin City Limits festival in 2024. That removes a common escape route in celebrity image cases, where rights can be fragmented between photographer, agency and subject.

Samsung did not respond to requests for comment, The Guardian reports. The case now sits in a court system where the packaging that moved units through American retail in 2025 may end up being treated as evidence, one cardboard panel at a time.