Condé Nast has reached an agreement with Drake and 21 Savage regarding the fake Vogue cover they used to promote Her Loss.
The pair reached an out-of-court settlement and agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to the magazine’s publisher, who was seeking at least $4 million in damages. The agreement also includes a permanent injunction prohibiting the use of the Vogue trademarks in the future.
Condé Nast general counsel William Bowes said in an email obtained by Billboard that the company was “glad to put this matter behind us” and explained why the publisher decided to sue the rappers.
“As a creative company, we understand that our brands may be referenced in other creative works from time to time,” Bowes said. “In this case, however, it was clear to us that Drake and 21 Savage took advantage of Vogue’s reputation for their own commercial purposes, confusing audiences who rely on Vogue as the authoritative voice on fashion and culture.”
Saw 21 Savage and Drake’s upcoming Vogue cover today 👀 pic.twitter.com/Pix0Rz3Gb7
— Kea (@jacquemusx) October 31, 2022
Drake posted a photo of himself and Savage on what appeared to be the October 2022 cover of Vogue, while personally thanking the magazine’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour for the opportunity, just days before the release of their joint album Her Loss.
“Me and my brother will be on the newsstands tomorrow!!” Drake wrote in the caption of his Instagram post. “Thank you for the love and support on this historic moment, @voguemagazine and Anna Wintour.”
They also printed fake magazines with doctored images from the actual October issue of Vogue and plastered the fake cover all over the streets.
Condé Nast sued the duo for $4 million, accusing them of violating Vogue’s trademark rights and exploiting the “tremendous value that a cover feature in Vogue magazine carries.”
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order requiring them to remove all current and future displays of the phony magazine, claiming that it was “misleading consumers” and “deceiving the public.”
Drake and 21 staged a media campaign to promote Her Loss, which included a fake “SNL” performance and a Howard Stern interview.
