Patagonia sues drag queen over trademark name similarity
Patagonia is suing drag performer Pattie Gonia for trademark infringement over alleged violations of a 2022 agreement, with the case set for trial in June 2027.
The clothing manufacturer filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in January against the drag queen, whose real name is Wyn Wiley, alleging violations of a 2022 agreement between the parties. The case is now scheduled for trial in June 2027, pending judicial approval.
Wiley adopted the Pattie Gonia persona following a 2018 trip to the South American region of Patagonia. The mustachioed LGBTQ and climate activist has since built a substantial following as an environmental advocate.
Patagonia claims Wiley breached their 2022 understanding when she filed a trademark application for “Pattie Gonia” in 2024, causing the company what it describes as irreparable harm. The outdoor brand has attempted to handle the matter carefully, releasing a statement acknowledging any hurt caused, particularly within the LGBTQ community.
According to court filings, Patagonia previously allowed Gonia’s environmental partnership with a water bottle company under specific conditions: the drag persona’s name could not appear on products and Patagonia’s logos were off-limits. The company alleges those terms have since been violated.
The lawsuit accuses Pattie Gonia of selling merchandise including clothing items that compete with Patagonia products, and creating customer confusion by distributing packages containing stickers that superimpose Pattie Gonia branding onto Patagonia’s logo. This has led consumers to incorrectly believe the company sponsors the drag performer, Patagonia contends.
Wiley maintains she pursued trademark protection to prevent the drag persona from being stolen. She argues that no reasonable consumer would confuse Patagonia’s clothing brand with the limited merchandise offerings of a touring drag performer, and asserts that her performances and costumes constitute protected satire under the First Amendment.
The drag queen also claims Patagonia has known about and approved her activities for years, even featuring her advocacy work on the company’s website. Wiley argues that accepting Patagonia’s demands—withdrawing the trademark application, ceasing use of mountain landscape imagery, and halting merchandise sales—would destroy her ability to fund advocacy and charitable initiatives.
Court documents filed by Wiley state that complying would effectively dismantle the beloved drag persona and a community of over 600 artists and advocates who have raised more than $3.7 million for nonprofit organizations.
Patagonia has indicated that if Gonia would agree to three core terms, further negotiations could allow the performer to continue activism and performances. The company emphasized shared values including environmental protection and outdoor inclusivity.
In a Sunday statement, as New York Post reports, Pattie Gonia clarified that the 2022 arrangement was not a comprehensive agreement about future activities. However, the performer offered to stop parodying the company’s logo, stating Drag is built on parody, puns and jokes, but I’m willing to never parody their logo ever again.
Both parties submitted a joint federal filing Monday confirming that extensive settlement discussions had failed to produce a resolution.
With information from New York Post
