Dua Lipa sues Samsung for $15M over photo on Crystal UHD TV boxes
May 11, 2026 - 8:42 am
Image by: Harald Krichel
Dua Lipa has filed a $15 million federal lawsuit against Samsung Electronics, alleging the company has been using her photograph on its Crystal UHD television packaging since 2025 without permission.
The complaint states that a backstage shot from the 2024 Austin City Limits Festival ended up on Samsung's TV boxes and online channels worldwide, despite Lipa's cease-and-desist requests.
The Allegation
Samsung began shipping the photo on cardboard boxes for its Crystal UHD line in 2025. The suit was filed in the Central District of California.
Lipa’s lawyers are seeking damages based on three legal theories:
- Copyright infringement: Samsung allegedly did not license the underlying image.
- Trademark infringement: Her name and likeness function as marks under California law.
- Violation of right of publicity: California law protects a person's commercial control over their own image, which is at the heart of this case.
California’s right-of-publicity statute, codified in Civil Code Section 3344, awards minimum statutory damages of $750 per knowing unauthorized use, with actual and punitive damages also available. This leads to the requested $15 million figure.
Samsung's Response
Lipa claims she became aware of the image’s presence on packaging in June 2025 and sent cease-and-desist requests. The complaint alleges Samsung refused to stop, stating:
"The infringing boxes remain on the market to this day,” with Samsung’s response described as “dismissive and callous.”
A social media quote included in the filing reflects the commercial logic of the alleged infringement: "I wasn’t even planning on buying a TV, but I saw the box, so I decided to get it."
Samsung has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit.
The case presents a clear-cut confrontation between intellectual property rights and commercial exploitation.