$15 Million Dua Lipa vs. Samsung Electronics Right Of Publicity Lawsuit, Claiming  Samsung Used Her Photo on TV Boxes Without Permission

Dua Lipa vs. Samsung Electronics is a civil lawsuit filed May 8, 2026, in which pop star Dua Lipa alleges that Samsung Electronics used a copyrighted photograph of her on its Crystal UHD television packaging without her knowledge, consent, or payment. Lipa is seeking at least $15,000,000 in damages plus any profits Samsung gained through the unauthorized use of her image.

Field	Detail
Plaintiff	Dua Lipa (Dua Lipa Limited, performing artist)
Defendants	Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Case Type	Copyright Infringement / Right of Publicity / False Endorsement
Court	U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Date Filed	May 8, 2026
Legal Claims	Copyright infringement; California right of publicity statute; Lanham Act (false endorsement); trademark claims
Damages Sought	At least $15,000,000, plus Samsung’s profits from the alleged unauthorized use
Copyright Registration	VA 2-479-685 (the photograph at issue)
Current Status	Active — filed May 8, 2026; Samsung has not publicly responded
Next Scheduled Date	TBD — case was filed days ago; no hearing date has been set
Last Updated	May 10, 2026

Note: This article covers a recently filed lawsuit. Information is limited to the complaint as filed on May 8, 2026. This page will be updated as the case develops.

Case Timeline

Date	Event
2024	Photograph of Dua Lipa taken backstage at the Austin City Limits Music Festival
2025	Samsung allegedly begins placing the photograph on Crystal UHD TV cardboard packaging
2025–2026	Lipa discovers the packaging; demands Samsung remove the image; Samsung allegedly refuses
May 8, 2026	Lipa files lawsuit in U.S. District Court, Central District of California
May 10, 2026	Samsung has not publicly commented; no court dates scheduled yet

What the Dua Lipa vs. Samsung Lawsuit Is About

Dua Lipa filed a $15 million lawsuit on May 8 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleging Samsung used her likeness “without consent, compensation, or authorization” across a large-scale retail campaign tied to its 2025 TV lineup.

According to the complaint, Samsung Electronics America and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. allegedly featured a copyrighted image of Dua Lipa on TV boxes sold in stores and online beginning in 2025. The photo was reportedly taken backstage during the 2024 Austin City Limits Music Festival and later registered under copyright number VA 2-479-685.

Lipa says she was never contacted for approval and did not agree to any licensing or endorsement arrangement tied to the campaign. The filing says she later asked the company to stop using the image, but alleges the request was not handled satisfactorily.

The complaint is direct about what Lipa says Samsung did and the response she got. Once Lipa found out, she demanded Samsung stop using her image, and the complaint says the company was “dismissive and callous” in refusing her request.

Who Are Dua Lipa and Samsung?

Dua Lipa is a 30-year-old British-Albanian singer and songwriter whose albums Future Nostalgia (2020) and Radical Optimism (2024) established her as one of the best-selling pop artists in the world. The suit states that Lipa has cultivated a “premium brand” and is “highly selective” in making product endorsements. That selectivity is central to her legal argument — she claims Samsung’s use of her image implied a commercial partnership that does not exist and that she would never have agreed to.

Samsung Electronics is a South Korean multinational and one of the world’s largest consumer electronics manufacturers. Both the parent company, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., and its U.S. subsidiary, Samsung Electronics America, Inc., are named as defendants in the complaint.

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What Lipa Alleges Samsung Did and Why It Matters

The lawsuit rests on four legal claims, each targeting a different aspect of Samsung’s alleged conduct.

Copyright infringement is the most straightforward claim. The complaint claims that Dua Lipa owns the copyright to the image, which was taken backstage at the Austin City Limits Festival in 2024. Samsung allegedly used that copyrighted image on commercial packaging without a license or payment.

Right of publicity is a California state law that protects a person’s right to control commercial use of their name, face, or likeness. Using a celebrity’s image to sell a product without a contract violates that right, regardless of whether the image itself is copyrighted.

False endorsement under the Lanham Act is a federal claim. The lawsuit argues that the packaging created the impression Dua Lipa had officially partnered with or endorsed Samsung’s Crystal UHD TVs — when she had not. The Lanham Act, the federal law governing trademarks and consumer protection, prohibits conduct that misleads consumers about who endorses a product.

To support the consumer confusion argument, Lipa’s legal team included real social media posts in the complaint. The lawsuit quotes comments on X, formerly known as Twitter, suggesting that at least some customers were moved to purchase Samsung TVs by the apparent endorsement. One commenter wrote, “I wasn’t even planning on buying a tv but I saw the box so I decided to get it.”

What Happens Next in This Case

The case was filed on May 8, 2026. Samsung has not publicly responded to the lawsuit yet. In federal civil litigation, a defendant typically has 21 days to respond to a summons after being formally served, though the court can extend that deadline. Samsung will likely either file an answer or a motion to dismiss once served.

No trial date, hearing date, or briefing schedule has been set at this stage. Cases of this type — celebrity right-of-publicity and copyright disputes — often settle before reaching trial, though some do proceed to judgment. The outcome will depend on whether Lipa can establish that Samsung’s use of the copyrighted image created actual confusion about her endorsement.

What makes this case notable beyond Lipa’s profile is that it directly tests whether a company can legally place a celebrity’s image on retail product packaging without a deal — and what happens when that celebrity says no and the company refuses to act. The Central District of California is the primary federal court for entertainment and intellectual property disputes in the U.S., and its rulings in celebrity image cases frequently influence how similar disputes are resolved nationwide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly did Samsung do, according to the lawsuit?

 According to the complaint filed May 8, 2026, Samsung placed a photograph of Dua Lipa — taken backstage at the 2024 Austin City Limits Festival — on the cardboard packaging of its Crystal UHD televisions and sold those boxes in retail stores and online beginning in 2025, without Lipa’s knowledge or permission.

Does Dua Lipa own the photo Samsung used? 

According to the complaint, yes. The filing states that Lipa owns the copyright to the photograph, registered under copyright number VA 2-479-685. That ownership is the basis of the copyright infringement claim.

What is a “right of publicity” claim?

 A right of publicity is a legal right, recognized under California law, that protects a person from having their name, face, or likeness used for commercial purposes without their consent. It applies whether or not the person owns the copyright to the image in question.

What is the Lanham Act, and why is it in this lawsuit? 

The Lanham Act is the federal law governing trademarks and unfair competition. Lipa’s lawsuit includes a Lanham Act claim for false endorsement — meaning she argues that Samsung’s use of her image misled consumers into thinking she had endorsed their televisions, which she had not.

Has Samsung responded to the lawsuit?

 Not publicly, as of May 10, 2026. Samsung had not commented to press by the time the lawsuit was filed, according to Variety, which reviewed the complaint.

Where can I read the court filing? 

The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Case documents are publicly accessible through the court’s PACER system at pacer.gov.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. All allegations described are drawn from the complaint as filed and have not been proven in court. Samsung has not responded to the lawsuit as of the publication date. For advice about a specific legal matter, consult a qualified attorney.