Dua Lipa sues Samsung for $15M after Samsung placed her photo on TV boxes without permission or payment
Dua Lipa filed a federal lawsuit against Samsung on May 8 in the US District Court for the Central District of California, claiming Samsung placed a copyrighted photo of her on TV packaging sold across the United States without her permission or payment. The image -- "Dua Lipa: Backstage at Austin City Limits, 2024" -- is registered with the US Copyright Office under VA 2-479-685. Lipa discovered the unauthorized use in June 2025, sent a cease-and-desist, and says Samsung refused to remove the boxes, which are reportedly still on sale. She is seeking at least $15 million in damages and cited social media posts from consumers who said they bought the TV specifically because of her image on the box. Claims span copyright infringement, vicarious copyright infringement, false endorsement, and trademark infringement. Lipa holds or has held brand ambassador agreements with Puma, YSL Beauty, Bvlgari, and Nespresso.
THE BREAKDOWN
This is an active test of celebrity image rights enforcement against a hardware brand -- the outcome will set a benchmark for what damages courts apply when a company profits from unauthorized use of a celebrity's likeness on product packaging. The $15 million ask is grounded in Samsung TV revenue attribution, not just a licensing fee equivalent, which is a more aggressive legal strategy and potentially a more valuable precedent. Agents should pull existing brand contract language now and confirm that unauthorized use provisions explicitly cover packaging and point-of-sale materials, not only digital or broadcast placements. The case also highlights the value of maintaining copyright registration on artists' own licensed photo assets -- a practice most talent teams skip.
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