Multinational tech giants also seem to have made incredibly basic mistakes in their use of marketing materials. According toVariety websiteAccording to reports, British pop star Dua Lipa recently officially criticized Samsung.File a lawsuitShe was accused of printing her facial image on the packaging of television products without authorization or payment.
In addition to demanding damages of up to US$1500 million (approximately NT$4.8 million), Dua Lipa's legal team also accused Samsung of copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and "unauthorized commercial exploitation."
Samsung accused of "contempt and callousness" for ignoring protests.
The controversy was sparked when Samsung printed a photo featuring Dua Lipa's image directly on the cardboard packaging of its television products last year.
According to the lawsuit, the Dua Lipa team discovered the infringement around June 2025 and repeatedly demanded that Samsung cease using their image. However, Samsung's response was accused of being "contemptuous and callous," and television products bearing the infringing packaging are still circulating and being sold on the market.
Dua Lipa's legal team emphasized that Samsung profited from her image, giving the public the false impression that "Dua Lipa endorses the product." The lawsuit even cited posts from users on the social media platform X to prove that some consumers were indeed motivated to buy the TV because they "saw Dua Lipa on the packaging." The lawsuit harshly criticized Samsung's actions, stating that "Samsung's infringement is tantamount to mocking the plaintiff's hard work in building a successful personal brand and depriving her of the ability to control and monetize her own assets."
Controversial photo source: Austin City Extreme Music Festival 2024
In addition to infringing on portrait rights, this lawsuit also involves a clear copyright dispute.
The lawsuit specifically points out that the photo printed on the packaging by Samsung was taken backstage by Dua Lipa at the Austin City Limits Festival in 2024. Dua Lipa's side argues that she owns the full copyright to the photo, and that Samsung's unauthorized use of it for commercial packaging constitutes a substantial copyright infringement.
A Tumultuous Time for the Television Sector: The Spyware Ad Controversy
This is not the only legal trouble Samsung's TV division has faced recently.
Just a few months ago, in December 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against five TV manufacturers, including Samsung, accusing these smart TV brands of illegally collecting users' viewing habits and privacy data to target specific ads by embedding ad-targeting spyware into their TV systems without fully informing consumers.
