Rappers 21 Savage and Drake settle lawsuit with Condé Nast over fake promotional Vogue cover
Rappers 21 Savage and Drake have settled a lawsuit with Condé Nast over a fake Vogue Magazine cover which was used to promote the artists' latest album, "Her Loss."
The suit, which was filed last November and sought $4 million in damages from the duo, maintained that the cover sparked "unmistakable" public confusion, citing both headlines and user comments on social media that demonstrated "widespread belief that the counterfeit issue and counterfeit cover disseminated by Defendants were real."
The case was settled on Thursday for an unspecified amount of money "that will bolster our ongoing creative output, including Vogue editorial," read an internal memo from Condé Nast general counsel Will Bowes.
"As a creative company, we of course understand our brands may from time to time be referenced in other creative works," continued Bowes.
"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."
"Her Loss" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Drake's twelfth No. 1 album, and 21 Savage's third.
Bowes also said that the company reached out to Drake and 21 Savage in an attempt to resolve the matter out-of-court, but claimed it was repeatedly ignored.
"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," added Bowes.
Neither Drake nor 21 Savage have issued a public comment on the ruling.
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C Mandler is a social media producer and trending topics writer for CBS News, focusing on American politics and LGBTQ+ issues.
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