Drake and 21 Savage have been sued by Vogue publisher Condé Nast, who say the musicians used the magazine’s name without permission to promote their new album “Her Loss.”
The lawsuit claims the rappers’ promotional campaign uses a fake Vogue cover story bringing the album to his more than 135 million social media followers violates intellectual property laws and misleads fans, according to reports.
The stars also orchestrated a fake appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk and a fake interview on “The Howard Stern Show“For the album, released on Friday. They distributed fake Vogue cover posters in major metropolitan areas, the suit says, creating “unmistakable” public confusion.
Neither Drake nor 21 Savage’s representatives responded to reporters’ requests for comment.
Condé Nast claims in the lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in New York, that the rapper’s campaign was built “entirely” on the unauthorized use of Vogue’s trademarks and false representations. The lawsuit seeks at least $4 million in damages or triple the duo’s profits from their album and the “counterfeit” magazine, unspecified punitive damages and an end to the counterfeiting.
Last month, Drake shared a photo of the fake Vogue cover, expressing gratitude to longtime director Anna Wintour for her “love and support.”
“Me and my bro at the newsstands tomorrow,” Drake wrote in the post. “Thank you, Vogue and Anna Wintour, for your love and support during this historic moment.”
The lawsuit alleges that Vogue and Wintour “did not endorse” the record “in any way,” and Condé Nast sued only after asking the musicians and their crews “multiple times” to stop using the magazine’s name.
“Defendants’ adamant failure to respect Conde Nast’s rights left them no choice but to bring this action,” Lain’s company says in the suit.
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