Drake and 21 Savage have settled a lawsuit with Conde Nast over a fake Vogue cover promoting the couple’s album Her Loss.
Drake and 21 Savage settled a lawsuit by Conde Nast, who accused the rappers of using the Vogue name to create a fake magazine cover without permission. The rappers have developed a cover layout to promote their latest collaborative album Her Loss.
Conde Nast general counsel Will Bowes said in a memo obtained by Reuters that the settlement agreement with the rappers includes an unspecified cash payment to “support our ongoing creative activities, including the editorial part of Vogue.”
Bose also said that the settlement agreement includes a permanent ban on the commercial use of Vogue trademarks by rappers. Conde Nast initially demanded at least $4 million in his November 7 lawsuit against the rappers.
Her Loss’s advertising campaign included a fake Vogue cover featuring the rappers and the suggestion that they enjoyed the “love and support” of longtime Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. Conde Nast reports that the campaign was aimed at Drake and 21 Savage subscribers on social networks, the number of which exceeds 135 million people.
In November, a federal judge concluded that the campaign had caused confusion, and Conde Nast was likely to succeed in its claims of false advertising and trademark infringement. Drake and 21 Savage then voluntarily stopped the campaign without admitting wrongdoing.
“As a creative company, we certainly understand that our brands may be mentioned in other creative works from time to time,” Bose continued.
Bose said that “it was clear to us that Drake and 21 Savage were using Vogue’s reputation for their own commercial purposes and in the process confused an audience that trusts Vogue as an authoritative voice in fashion and culture.”
Her Loss debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart after its release on November 4. He is currently ranked 8th for the week ending February 18. Lawyers for Drake and 21 Savage declined media requests for comment.
