British pop superstar Dua Lipa, known for hits including songs from the film "Barbie," has filed a $15 million (about 22 billion won) lawsuit against Samsung Electronics, alleging unauthorized use of her photograph.
According to industry sources on the 10th, Lipa's legal representatives stated in a complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California that "Samsung is being sued for copyright, trademark, and right of publicity infringement, seeking compensation for the repeated commercial use of Lipa's image without her permission."
Lipa is a British pop star who debuted in 2015 with the single "New Love." Her first full-length album, "Dua Lipa," released in 2017, reached No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart. She has since won three Grammy Awards and gained global popularity.
According to the complaint, Samsung Electronics has been using Lipa's photograph on its TV packaging boxes since 2024. Lipa's side claims that upon discovering this, they requested Samsung to stop using the image, but the company refused.
The photograph was taken backstage at the 2024 Austin City Limits Festival. Lipa's representatives specified that the copyright to the photograph belongs to Lipa.
Lipa's legal counsel stated in the complaint that "Lipa did not permit the commercial use of her image without her consent or any negotiation," adding that "Samsung ignored this and used Lipa's face in large-scale consumer marketing."
Lipa's side contends that Samsung gained unfair profits by making it appear as though Dua Lipa was endorsing the product when she was not. The complaint also cites comments posted on the social media platform X, expressing the view that at least some customers were influenced by the photograph in their decision to purchase Samsung TVs. Lipa's representatives noted in the complaint that "she has built a 'premium brand' and is very selective when serving as a product endorser."
Meanwhile, U.S. entertainment outlet Variety added that it had requested comment from Samsung Electronics on the matter but had not received a response.
