Condé Nast’s legal battle with Drake and 21 Savage has reportedly come to an end.
According to Semafor, the publishing giant reached a settlement with the rappers earlier this week, more than three months after it sued the duo over a fake Vogue cover. Condé Nast’s announced the news in an internal memo released on Thursday, saying the company had secured a permanent injunction prohibited the use of Vogue trademarks for commercial purposes.
“As a creative company, we of course understand our brands may from time to time be referenced in other creative works,” Condé Nast general counsel Will Bowes wrote. “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.”
Semafor could not confirm the details of agreement, but the memo indicated that the plaintiffs received a monetary settlement that will benefit their “ongoing creative output, including Vogue editorial.”
The lawsuit was filed in early November, after Drake and 21 shared a fake October 2022 issue of Vogue with their images splashed across the cover and pages. The faux magazine was one of several publicity stunts for their collaborative album, Her Loss.
“Me and my brother on newsstands tomorrow,” Drake wrote on Instagram in October. “Thanks @voguemagazine and Anna Wintour for the love and support on this historic moment Her Loss Nov 4th.”
Condé Nast subsequently filed a $4 million lawsuit against the rappers for alleged copyright infringement. The publisher called the unauthorized stunt a “deceptive campaign” that caused confusion among the public. Just a couple of days later, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff ruled Drake and 21 had misled consumers, and could no longer use the Vogue trademark for promotional purposes.
