Key Points:
- Pop star Dua Lipa filed a lawsuit against Samsung for using her face on TV packaging without permission.
- The singer discovered the unauthorized cardboard boxes around June 2025 and demanded that the company stop selling them.
- Lipa owns the copyright to the specific photo, which a photographer took backstage at the 2024 Austin City Limits Festival.
- Samsung faces additional legal trouble after the Texas attorney general sued the company and 4 other TV makers in December.
Pop star Dua Lipa took direct legal action against electronics giant Samsung this week. The famous English musician accused the massive company of using her face to sell televisions without paying her or asking for her permission. Variety first reported the lawsuit, which outlines several serious allegations against the tech manufacturer. Lipa and her legal team claim Samsung committed copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and unauthorized commercial exploitation.
The legal complaint focuses entirely on how Samsung packaged its products last year. The company printed a large image of Lipa directly onto the cardboard boxes holding its new televisions. Samsung shipped these boxes to major retail stores all across the world. Shoppers saw the pop star looking back at them from the electronics aisles, which naturally made fans assume she had a formal partnership with the brand. However, Lipa never signed a contract or agreed to endorse these specific televisions.
Lipa first discovered the unauthorized packaging around June 2025. She immediately told her management team to contact the electronics company and fix the issue. Her lawyers repeatedly sent official notices and demanded that Samsung immediately stop using her exact likeness on the cardboard boxes. The singer expected a quick apology and a fast removal of the products from store shelves so she could protect her personal brand.
Instead of resolving the problem, Samsung refused to pull the boxes. The lawsuit states that the company gave a dismissive and callous response to her legal demands. The tech giant ignored her requests, and retail stores continue to sell the same televisions in the controversial packaging today. Lipa felt the company had completely disrespected her rights as an artist and a business owner, leaving her no choice but to file a formal lawsuit in court.
Lipa and her lawyers argue that Samsung profited heavily by stealing her image. They claim the boxes tricked everyday consumers into thinking the famous musician officially endorsed the product. The legal filing even included specific evidence from social media to prove this point. Her legal team cited multiple posts on X in which fans explicitly stated they planned to buy the television simply because they saw Lipa on the cardboard box.
The legal complaint highlighted the severe damage this situation caused to her personal brand. Her lawyers wrote that Samsung’s infringing conduct makes a mockery of the hard work she put into establishing her massive career. Celebrities carefully choose which products they endorse to protect their public image. By forcing her face onto a television box, Samsung stripped Lipa of her basic ability to control and monetize her own physical appearance.
The lawsuit also brings up a separate copyright issue regarding the specific picture Samsung used. Lipa actually owns the full legal copyright to that exact photograph. A photographer snapped the picture of her hanging out backstage during the Austin City Limits Festival back in October 2024. Because she owns the rights to the original image, Samsung violated federal copyright law by printing it on commercial products without first obtaining a proper license.
This new lawsuit adds to a growing list of legal headaches for the massive electronics brand. Samsung recently found itself in serious legal trouble with government officials in the United States. Just last December, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a massive lawsuit against Samsung and 4 other major television manufacturers. Paxton accused these 5 companies of installing illegal ad-targeting spyware on their smart televisions to track consumer viewing habits without proper consent.
The music and entertainment industries are watching the Dua Lipa case very closely. Artists constantly fight massive corporations to protect their name, image, and likeness rights. If Lipa wins this lawsuit, it could force other tech companies to conduct extensive audits of their marketing materials and packaging designs. A victory would send a strong message that no company, regardless of its size or wealth, can freely steal a celebrity image to boost its retail sales.
Samsung has not yet issued a public statement regarding the pop star’s accusations. Reporters reached out to the company headquarters for an official comment but received no immediate reply. The court will soon schedule the first hearings, where Samsung must formally answer the copyright and trademark infringement claims. Until a judge issues an order, fans will likely continue seeing the 2024 Austin City Limits photo on television boxes at their local electronics stores.
