British singer Dua Lipa has taken legal action against Samsung Electronics, seeking a minimum of $15 million in damages. The lawsuit alleges that Samsung unlawfully used her image to promote its television sets without her consent. The image in question, titled “Dua Lipa – Backstage at Austin City Limits, 2024,” is copyrighted, and Lipa holds all rights to it. The lawsuit was filed in a California federal court on Friday.
Samsung Electronics declined to comment on the ongoing litigation. Lipa’s legal representatives have yet to respond to requests for comments on the case. Apart from copyright and trademark violations, Lipa has accused Samsung of violating her publicity rights.
Attaching screenshots of social media interactions, Lipa’s lawyers claim that the presence of her image on Samsung TV boxes influenced consumers’ purchasing decisions. Despite Lipa’s demands for Samsung to cease using her image since June last year, the company has reportedly continued to do so.
The unauthorized usage of Dua Lipa’s image by Samsung has allegedly harmed her brand identity and commercial reputation by falsely implying her endorsement of the products.