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Drake and 21 Savage have reached final settlements with Vogue’s parent company Condé Nast after their fake Vogue cover landed them lawsuits. The pair were hit with lawsuits in November after promoting their joint album, Her Loss, using fake Vogue magazine mock-ups. Although the album eventually became a chart-topper, the two have since experienced losses in the wake of the lawsuit.
Drake And 21 Savage Reach Settlement With Vogue
Per Variety, the two artists finally reached an out-of-court settlement with the company after dragging on for months. Conde Nast’s general counsel, Will Bowes, released a memo on the said agreement, noting that the settlement would bolster the publication’s ongoing creative output, “including Vogue editorial. Additionally, the legal proceedings and settlement would ensure a permanent injunction discouraging “further commercial uses of the Vogue trade mark.”
The memo also stated that while the company understood other creative works may reference their brands, Drake and 21 Savage’s actions went beyond that. According to Will, the artists leveraged Vogue’s reputation for commercial purposes, confusing audiences who trusted the publication as the authoritative voice on fashion and culture.
Going further, the memo, released Thursday, February 16, 2023, explained that they tried resolving the issue amicably. However, Drake and 21 Savage ignored the effort and proceeded to publish and commercialize the fake Vogue cover, using “out-of-home marketing assets” and social and video posts freely disseminated worldwide.
How Much Did Drake And 21 Lose In The Lawsuit Settlement?
The original lawsuit filed by Condé Nast sought $4 million in damages from Drake and his collaborator 21 Savage over their fake Vogue Cover. However, the exact terms of their eventual monetary settlement after their nearly three-month-long legal feud remains undisclosed. Additionally, the Vogue parent company requested an immediate clamp down on the use of mock-ups. Granting such would affect not only this latest proceeding but also other celebs who, at some point, have used mock-ups or cover art of major outlets, albeit for humor purposes.
While the duo has since landed in hot soup for messing with Condé Nast, a fake Vogue cover was not their only bold promotion choice. In fact, the duo made fake publications on other outlets, including fake appearances on The Howard Stern Show, Saturday Night Live, and Tiny Desk. However, these other outlets reportedly played along, leaving Drake’s team confused over Vogue’s seemingly rash reactions. Notwithstanding, given the huge commercial success Her Loss recorded, the rappers would perhaps make up for the amount spent in the off-the-court settlement. It appears the lawsuit hassle was all worth it in the end.