Dua Lipa Sues Samsung for $15 Million Over Image Rights

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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Singer Dua Lipa has filed a federal lawsuit against Samsung for $15 million (Rp262 billion) at the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The lawsuit against the South Korean electronics giant was filed on Friday, May 8, 2026.

Dua Lipa accuses Samsung of using her image to sell television products without her permission. Furthermore, there has been no offer of payment to the Albanian musician regarding this matter.

"Ms. Lipa’s face was prominently used for a mass marketing campaign for a consumer product without her knowledge, without consideration, and as to which she had no say, control, or input whatsoever," the lawsuit reads as cited from The Independent. "Ms. Lipa did not allow and would not have allowed this use."

The complaint alleges that, in early 2025, Samsung began using Dua Lipa's image in its marketing materials and on television box packages worldwide. The image in question is titled "Dua Lipa - Backstage at Austin City Limits, 2024," which was taken backstage at the Austin City Limits Festival in 2024.

Violation of Publicity Rights

Dua Lipa's lawyers allege that Samsung has infringed on copyright and trademark rights and violated her "right of publicity." They also claim that Samsung's revenues are closely tied to the false message conveyed to consumers that Lipa has endorsed Copyright-Infringing Products when she has not.

The New York Times reports that, for almost a year, Dua Lipa has been asking Samsung repeatedly to stop using her image on their product boxes. However, the company has refused her requests.

As part of the lawsuit filing, Dua Lipa's lawyers also included posts from several social media users. They aim to show that Samsung's use of the image of the performer of the song "Levitating" has "driven potential customers to purchase."

"I wasn’t even planning on buying a tv but I saw the box so I decided to get it," reads one of the quoted social media posts. "I’d get that TV just because Dua Lipa is on it," another user said.

Dua Lipa's legal team also seeks a permanent injunction barring Samsung from using the image without her permission, alongside $15 million in damages.

Samsung's Response

Variety reports that Samsung, as the defendant, has responded to Dua Lipa's lawsuit. They state that the image on the television boxes comes from one of their content partners, Samsung TV Plus, who assured that they had obtained permission to use it.

"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," reads Samsung's statement.

On the other hand, Samsung also stated that they are open to finding a constructive solution to the issue. "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," the statement continues.