Samsung has claimed it was given “explicit assurance” that it could use an image of popstar and Barbie actress Dua Lipa on the side of packaging for its TV boxes.
Lipa’s lawyers last Friday launched a $15M lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Central California against South Korean tech conglom Samsung, claiming the image of the singer has been used without permission and helped Samsung make sales of its television sets across the United States.
Samsung had initially declined to comment, but has now issued a statement denying claims of copyright infringement, trademark infringement and misappropriation of Lipa’s likeness and image.
“Ms. Lipa’s image was used in 2025 to reflect the content of our third-party partners that are available on Samsung TVs and was originally provided by a content partner for our free streaming service Samsung TV Plus,” the statement read.
“The image was used only after receiving explicit assurance from the content partner that permission had been secured, including for the retail boxes. Given this assurance, we deny any allegations of intentional misuse.
“Samsung has great respect for Ms. Lipa and the intellectual property of all artists. We have actively sought and remain open to a constructive resolution with Ms. Lipa’s team.”
The picture is question is of Lipa backstage at the Austin City Limits musical festival. Her Lipa’s lawyers say it is owned entirely by their client and no permission was given for Samsung to use it commercially.
Lipa is a Grammy-winning singer, whose hits include ‘Levitating’ and ‘Don’t Start Now.’ She has moved into acting over recent years, with a part as Mermaid Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie her most notable role. In March, we revealed she’d been cast in A24 comedy Peaked, which Molly Gordon is directing.
