Photo Credit: Ralph Arvesen / CC by 2.0
Drake and 21 Savage settle the lawsuit with Conde Nast over the fake Vogue cover promoting the pair’s album, Her Loss.
Drake and 21 Savage have settled a lawsuit by Conde Nast, which accused the rappers of using the Vogue name to create a fake magazine cover without permission. The rappers designed the mock cover to promote their recent collaborative album, Her Loss.
Conde Nast general counsel Will Bowes said in a memo obtained by Reuters that the settlement with the rappers includes an unspecified monetary payment to “bolster our ongoing creative output, including Vogue editorial.”
Bowes also said the settlement includes a permanent injunction against the rappers’ commercial use of Vogue’s trademarks. Conde Nast had initially sought at least $4 million in its November 7 lawsuit against the rappers.
The promotional campaign for Her Loss included a faux Vogue cover featuring the rappers and a suggestion they had the “love and support” of longtime Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. Conde Nast says the campaign was directed to Drake and 21 Savage’s social media followers, which exceeds 135 million fans.
A federal judge concluded in November that the campaign was causing confusion and Conde Nast would likely succeed in its false advertising and trademark infringement claims. Drake and 21 Savage then voluntarily stopped the campaign without admitting wrongdoing.
“As a creative company, we of course understand our brands may from time to time be referenced in other creative works,” continued Bowes.
Bowes said that “it was clear to us that Drake and 21 Savage leveraged Vogue’s reputation for their own commercial purposes, and in the process, confused audiences who trust Vogue as the authoritative voice on fashion and culture.”
Her Loss debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart upon its November 4 release. Currently, it ranks Number 8 for the week ending February 18. Attorneys for Drake and 21 Savage have declined media outlets’ requests for comment.