Patagonia sues drag queen Pattie Gonia for trademark infringement | Drag
Patagonia filed a trademark lawsuit against environmentalist drag queen Pattie Gonia, who accused the outdoor clothing company of trying to “erase an activist.”
Wyn Wiley, who plays the role of Pattie Gonia, has amassed millions of followers online for her environmental activism and has raised almost $4 million for nonprofits so far. Last year, they raised $1 million while hiking 100 miles in full drift from the Point Reyes national seashore to San Francisco.
Patagonia, which takes its name from a huge geographical region covering Argentina and Chile. filed a trademark infringement lawsuit Jan. 21 against Wiley. The case was filed in federal court in Los Angeles.
The company, which sued Wiley for a “nominal” $1 in damages and attorneys’ fees, said it took action after Wiley filed a trademark application in September to use the Pattie Gonia brand to sell clothing and support environmental activism, claiming it would “irreparably damage” her brand.
“While we wish we didn’t have to do this and have been actively working with Pattie for several years to avoid it, it has become necessary to protect the brand we have spent the last 50 years building,” the company said in a statement in January.
“We want Pattie to have a long and successful career and to make progress on important issues – but in a way that respects Patagonia’s intellectual property and her ability to use our brand to sell products and advocate for the environment.”
On Wednesday, Wiley responded publicly to the lawsuit for the first time in a video on Instagram and shared a letter They sent a letter to Patagonia’s board of directors asking them to drop the lawsuit.
“This is a betrayal of Patagonia’s core mission. Because if they’re ‘in business to save the home planet,’ why are they suing a climate activist?” Wiley said.
“For the past four months since the lawsuit was filed, I remained silent and worked through every channel to resolve this issue without going to court. But in the end, I had two choices: Have my name erased, my advocacy, my community, and everyone I work for. Or fight for myself and fight for us.”
Although Patagonia claimed it only sued for $1, the legal fees required to fight to protect the drag names would cost much more, Wiley said.
“This is not a brand conflict,” Wiley said. “This is a company trying to erase an activist. This is how companies bully individuals who can’t match their resources.”
Wylie acknowledged that his products contained a “playful parody” of Patagonia, but denied using its branding, logo or font, adding: “Drag is built on parody, puns and jokes.”
Patagonia’s social media is overflowing with thousands of comments Pattie Gonia’s fans called on the company to drop the lawsuit.
In a statement to the Guardian, Patagonia said: “Over the past few years, we have tried to find a way forward that would allow Pattie Gonia to continue her work while protecting the Patagonia trademark. These discussions included numerous proposals, each intended to support this path, along with ongoing dialogue and genuine efforts to prevent this from going to court. Unfortunately, we have not been able to reach an agreement.”
“This issue is not about financial gain, nor is it about challenging anyone’s identity or right to advocacy, protest or creative expression. The last thing we wanted was to get into a legal fight with someone who shares our values, but we must protect our business and our employees,” he added.
In 2022, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard gave away the entire company to a uniquely structured foundation and nonprofit organization designed to pump all of the company’s profits into saving the planet. “As of now, our only shareholder is Earth,” the company said at the time.
Patagonia’s original name was Chouinard Equipment, but Chouinard changed that name after a transformative trip to Patagonia with his best friend Doug Tompkins, founder of rival outdoor company North Face.
