Outdoor clothing and gear retailer Patagonia has sued drag performer Patti Gonia for trademark infringement, claiming the name and brand similarities are causing “confusion and deception” to consumers.
In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on January 21, the company reportedly seeks $1 in nominal damages and is asking the court to prevent Wynn Wiley from trademarking or selling products bearing the name of her drag persona, Patti Gonia. independent person.
Patti Gonia, a touring drag performer with over 1.5 million followers on Instagram, is best known as an LGBTQ and environmental advocate who organizes in-person hikes, outdoor events, and fundraising campaigns. Her mustachioed drag aesthetic derives largely from her love of the outdoors, with a focus on educating her followers about climate change and environmental sustainability. Last year she hiked 100 miles Working to raise $1 million for inclusive outdoor organizations.
Patty Gonia has also been outspoken on political issues, criticizing the Trump administration on a variety of fronts, including its support for the Israeli government during the occupation of Gaza, recent actions by ICE and CBP agents during the immigration crackdown, and what she described as anti-LGBTQ discrimination. Among the incidents she highlighted was the National Park Service’s firing of a non-binary wildlife biologist who hung a transgender pride flag on the El Capitan rock formation in Yosemite National Park during off-duty hours.
The complaint alleges that Patagonia “competes” the sale of products bearing Pati Gonia’s name.[s] We are directly involved in the products and endorsements that Patagonia has built the PATAGONIA brand over the past 53 years. ”
The company claims Mr. Wiley first raised concerns in 2022 when Hydro Flask was discussing a funding partnership with The North Face, one of Patagonia’s competitors. Hydro Flask reportedly reached out to Patagonia to discuss a potential partnership, concerned that Patti Gonia’s name would cause confusion about the association between the brands.
Patagonia said that after discussions with Wiley and Hydro Flask, the parties reached an agreement that would allow Pati Gonia to continue using her name for her activism, but not for commercial sales. The agreement allegedly prohibited her from using her name “in any way” on her products, from using or displaying the Patagonia logo, or from using the same fonts that Patagonia employs in its marketing.
However, according to emails cited in the lawsuit, Wiley and his business partners did not explicitly agree to those terms, instead stating that they were “mindful” of the company’s concerns.
Patagonia now claims that Patagonia violated the agreement by selling branded products in 2024, and in 2025 by filing a trademark application to “commercialize, endorse, market, campaign, and defend its products.”
As evidence, the company posted an image of Pati Gonia promoting a product it claimed was “nearly identical to the Patagonia wordmark,” arguing that such similarities risked “irreparable” harm to its brand and reputation.
As reported by daily mailAfter Patagonia contacted Patagonia about what it deemed a violation of the 2022 agreement, Wiley challenged the company’s interpretation of the agreement, saying the company’s view of the agreement was “wrong.” He also claimed that “fan art” bearing Pati Gonia’s name that resembled Patagonia’s font and logo was never sold.
Mr. Wylie and his business partners also learned that a Patagonia-owned company had developed tactical and military supplies and sold them to the U.S. government and law enforcement, and they sought to “disassociate them from any association with the Patagonia brand.”
“Consumers have yet to hold Patagonia, a brand responsible, for not thinking beyond profit in developing Broken Arrow, which supports the very people and organizations that are destroying the planet. After all, the U.S. military is the world’s biggest global polluter,” Wiley wrote in an email exchange. “This is a disconcerting fact for a company that claims to be “in business to save our home planet.”
Wiley and his business partner told Patagonia that they have “never and will never refer to the Patagonia logo or brand,” according to the complaint. Patagonia claims that its promise was broken by the use of the so-called “copycat” Patagonia logo on gloves and other products.
The company has faced online backlash over the lawsuit, but defended its actions in a statement.
“We are not opposed to comments about art, creative expression, or brands,” the statement said. “While we wish we never had to do this, and have been actively involved with Patty for several years to avoid it, it became necessary to protect the brand we have built over the past 50 years.
“We want Patti to have a long and successful career and make progress on important issues, but in a way that respects Patagonia’s intellectual property and our ability to leverage our brand to sell products and advocate for the environment,” the company added.
Critics, including Gay Camping Friends, the world’s largest LGBTQ outdoor community, slammed Patagonia’s actions.
“Gay Camping Friends fully supports drag artist Patti Gonia and the broader drag community’s right to satire, artistic expression, and visibility, especially in outdoor and environmental spaces that have historically excluded LGBTQ+ people,” the group said in a statement. statement.
“Drag has always used humor, wordplay, and cultural references as tools for visibility, critique, and community building. Satire is not theft,” the statement continued. “Expression is not an infringement, and queerness does not need corporate permission to exist, comment, or inspire.”
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
