After being sued by Conde Nast over their fake vogue cover, Drake and 21 savage have settled the case. According to Reuters, the publishing company has reached a settlement with the rappers and an undisclosed amount will be paid by Drizzy and 21 Savage.
The two rappers distributed a bootleg magazine featuring a “counterfeit” October 2022 issue of Vogue, featuring a doctored pic of Anna Wintour next to Drake and a fake story. They also pushed the parody out to their 135 million social media followers.
Conde Nast vs. Drake & 21 Savage
In a lawsuit filed in New York federal court, Conde Nast claims that rappers Drake and 21 Savage used Vogue’s trademark without permission to promote their joint album Her Loss. The magazine publisher is seeking up to $4 million in damages from the duo, which allegedly posted the fake Vogue cover on their social media accounts and distributed posters around major cities.
The legal filing says that the campaign was a deceptive and confusing one that damaged the reputation of Vogue, which is known for its authoritative voice on fashion and culture. It also harmed the brands of both Drake and 21 Savage, and the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour.
In addition to the Vogue fake cover, the rappers also released a phony Saturday Night Live performance and teased an elaborate deepfake interview with Howard Stern. The unauthorized stunt is part of a broader ‘phony press’ blitz aimed at promoting Her Loss that mocked traditional rollouts.
Drake & 21
In November, Vogue publisher Conde Nast filed a lawsuit against rappers Drake and 21 Savage for trademark infringement, counterfeiting and false advertising after they released a fake vogue cover as part of their joint album Her Loss. The unauthorized stunt started with a now-deleted Instagram post featuring the rappers and Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour.
The fake magazines went viral on social media, with street teams distributing copies in major cities throughout the United States. In addition, they were included in a promotional campaign that saw the duo appear on Saturday Night Live and NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series, among other phony press hits.
In November, the publishing company sued the rappers in a New York federal court for trademark infringement and brand dilution over their use of the Vogue mark. Judge Jed Rakoff agreed with the publisher and issued a temporary restraining order against the rappers. The rappers then voluntarily halted the campaign without admitting wrongdoing, but the legal battle continues.
Drake & 21 Savage settle
Last year, Conde Nast filed a lawsuit against Drake and 21 Savage over a fake Vogue cover they posted on Instagram. The magazine publisher claimed that the rappers’ unauthorized use of the trademark violated its intellectual property rights.
Conde Nast had requested $4 million U.S. in damages and asked that the artists stop using the mocked cover immediately. It also hoped that a judge would order that all copies of the faux Vogue cover be destroyed.
Billboard reports that the two rappers have reached an agreement with Conde Nast to settle the lawsuit, which includes a permanent injunction against any further use of the magazine’s trademarks and an undisclosed payment from Drake and 21 Savage. Representatives for both artists declined to comment on the deal.
Conde Nast settles with Drake & 21 Savage
The legal battle between Drake and 21 Savage over their fake Vogue cover has reportedly come to an end. Conde Nast, the parent company of Vogue, reached a settlement with the two rappers earlier this week.
Using a bootleg Vogue cover, they promoted their collaborative album Her Loss, which debuted atop the US Billboard 200 and Canadian Albums charts. It was a part of a larger promotional campaign involving mock appearances on Saturday Night Live and NPR’s Tiny Desk.
In November, Conde Nast sued the duo for trademark infringement and brand dilution over their use of the Vogue name to promote their joint record. It sought $4 million in statutory damages.
Conde Nast argued the rappers created a misleading campaign based on the premise that they would be featured on the Vogue cover in 2022. It also claimed they were using the magazine’s name for their own commercial purposes, confusing audiences who trusted Vogue as an authoritative voice in fashion and culture.
