Moda Operandi and a group of more than two dozen runway models have settled a lawsuit that lasted for almost three years. The models sued Vogue's parent company, Condé Nast, and Moda Operandi for allegedly using their images without permission. Moda Operandi has entered into settlement agreements with the models and a separate agreement with one of the plaintiffs, Grace Elizabeth Harry Cabe. Both parties plan to file stipulations of dismissal once certain conditions in the settlement agreements have been met. The lawsuit began in September 2022 and involved false endorsement claims under the Lanham Act and New York state right of publicity law claims. Condé Nast managed to have most of the claims against them dismissed based on the First Amendment, while Moda Operandi still had some claims remaining. The settlement involved the dismissal of claims against Condé Nast. The case is Champion et al., v. Moda Operandi, Advance Publications d/b/a/ Conde Nast, 1:20-cv-07255 (SDNY).
