Drake and 21 Savage settle Condé Nast’s lawsuit over fake ‘Vogue’ cover
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on February 17, 2023
Drake and 21 Savage have reached a settlement with Condé Nast, which had previously sued them for promoting their Her Loss album with a fake Vogue magazine cover. As Variety reports, the rappers have paid an undisclosed amount of money to the publication, which was also granted a “permanent injunction barring further commercial uses of the Vogue trademarks.”
“As a creative company, we of course understand our brands may from time to time be referenced in other creative works,” Condé Nast’s general counsel, Will Bowes, wrote in a memo. “In this instance, however, 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.”
“As part of our agreement we have been granted a monetary settlement that will bolster our ongoing creative output, including Vogue editorial, as well as a permanent injunction barring further commercial uses of the Vogue trademarks,” he continued.
Condé Nast initially sought $4 million from Drake and 21 for their unauthorized use of a fake Voguemagazine cover, noting the campaign was “built entirely on the use of the Vogue marks and the premise that Drake and 21 Savage would be featured on the cover of Vogue’s next issue.”
Promotion for the Her Loss album also included a fake press run with the rappers’ pretend appearances on The Howard Stern Show, Tiny Desk and Saturday Night Live.
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